Young people are scrambling for "Healthy Fortune".
Written by | Cen Cu
On the evening of February 1st, singer Yu Wenwen fainted during a performance and was rushed to the hospital. On the 2nd, she reassured everyone, saying, "Nothing belongs to you except your health," and this view immediately hit the hot search.
Coincidentally, on February 3rd, the "digital Chinese New Year custom" - Alipay's Fortune Collection event officially started. The newly added "Health Fortune" this year became the first "lucky fortune" that netizens rushed to grab, replacing the "Dedication Fortune" as the new top - trending lucky fortune this year.
"Love yourself" has become a consensus. Whether it's celebrities or ordinary people, they all start to prioritize health.
A recent report from Accenture also confirms this: Compared with 2021, Chinese consumers' emphasis on health and wealth has significantly increased, while their emphasis on career and love has decreased. Among them, the emphasis on health has risen from 78% to 87%, ranking first. More importantly, the post - 00s and post - 95s have seen the largest increase in the degree of emphasis on health, rising by 16% and 14% respectively.
The new generation of young people shows strong initiative in matters related to health: nothing is more important than health.
01. "Nothing belongs to you except your health"
"I thought it was just a bit of dizziness, but I almost lost my life," recalled Cheng Gong, still feeling scared when thinking about that late - night overtime experience.
At the age of 29, he works as a developer in a large Internet company. During busy times, he doesn't get off work until one or two o'clock in the morning. One night in July last year, he was still fixing bugs at his workstation when he suddenly felt dizzy, his chest was stuffy, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, his colleagues were around and quickly sent him to the hospital emergency room. It turned out to be myocardial ischemia. The doctor seriously warned him, "If you keep pushing yourself like this, it might be a heart attack next time."
This is not an alarmist statement. According to the "China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report", there are about one million new cases of myocardial infarction in China every year, and more than a quarter of the patients are under 45 years old. One in every four heart attack patients is a young person.
Still from the drama "Ask the Heart"
"In the past, I always thought that being young was an asset, and it didn't matter to stay up late and work overtime. Now I understand that without health, everything is just empty talk," Cheng Gong said. After being discharged from the hospital, he completely changed his lifestyle: he tries to go to bed before 12 o'clock every day to reduce the frequency of staying up late at work; he has regular meals and no longer relies on takeaways; he exercises at least three times a week.
Like Cheng Gong, Shanghai girl Han Yue is also paying more and more attention to her own health. At 29, she works as a creative director in an advertising company, with a decent job and a comfortable life.
However, last year, she was diagnosed with pre - diabetes during a physical examination. Han Yue started a strict blood sugar control plan, learned nutrition knowledge. To better monitor her blood sugar, she has to prick her finger several times a day, and her diet has changed from high - fat and high - sugar foods to boiled vegetables.
What's even more alarming is that diseases traditionally regarded as "geriatric diseases" such as diabetes, high uric acid, and heart attacks are now attacking the young population on a large scale. It's not just Han Yue. "I have a peer friend who was also diagnosed with pre - diabetes, a 30 - year - old male friend suddenly had a gout attack, and a 28 - year - old colleague was found to have thyroid cancer during a physical examination."
The younger - aged onset of diseases has sounded the alarm and also spurred the awakening of health awareness. This generation of young people may understand the weight of the sentiment "Nothing belongs to you except your health" earlier than any other generation.
So, social topics have quietly shifted. Han Yue noticed that the topics her friends are keen to discuss are no longer just about eating and drinking, but about how to get high - quality sleep, which foods have a slow blood sugar rise, and how to reduce uric acid.
02. From health anxiety to health management
Young people who are anxious about their health are starting to arm themselves with AI for their health.
In the past, people were used to looking for answers on social media, but the retrieved information was diverse, and it was difficult to distinguish between true and false commercial advertisements. Some people were affected by the content on the Internet that exaggerated disease anxiety and even developed "hypochondria."
In 2025, when AI applications exploded, young people began to frequently discuss their health concerns with AI.
Now, Han Yue not only measures her blood sugar by herself but also installs the AI health software "Ant A Fu" on her phone. When her blood sugar fluctuates, she asks A Fu to help analyze the reasons. In addition, she takes a photo of her physical examination report and sends it to A Fu. A Fu will give her a detailed breakdown of the report and offer some adjustment suggestions.
As an AI focusing on the health field, "Ant A Fu" has functions including health Q&A, report interpretation, exercise plan formulation, medication guidance, and online medical consultations. Compared with doctors, its advantage is that it is available 24 hours a day and free of charge.
Official data shows that among A Fu's users, 39% are post - 90s and post - 00s young people. Just six months after its launch, A Fu has to answer more than 10 million health questions every day. Behind this is the collective choice of young people to actively include health in their "personal KPIs."
It is this change in demand that has made "health" a widespread social resonance. Before this year's Alipay Fortune Collection event, many netizens started to call on the official to add a Health Fortune card. "Don't ask for dedication, just ask for health" has become the voice of many people.
And Alipay officials, as always, listened to the advice. "Ant A Fu" was in charge of distributing the "Health Fortune" card. For the first time, a national digital Chinese New Year custom was centered around receiving health blessings.
03. Receiving the Health Fortune is about getting a good omen
On February 3rd, the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month, Han Yue woke up early and opened Alipay to receive her "Health Fortune" card. She also got a cash red envelope, which was the first fortune card she asked for for herself.
In the new year, she decided to love herself well. Controlling blood sugar, exercising, and losing weight have become her new "life keywords" in the Year of the Horse. As Han Yue, who is about to turn 30, thinks back to her days at work when she was 23, staying up late and working hard, she has a feeling of being in a different world. "Now I can balance things better. I want to be dedicated at work, make money, but also take care of my health and love myself."
Open Alipay to receive the "Health Fortune" card
Cheng Gong, who experienced a health crisis last year, also scanned his "Health Fortune" card at this moment. "In the past, when collecting the five - fortune cards, everyone wanted the Dedication Fortune the most because it was the hardest to draw. But now, getting a Health Fortune is the most practical."
The change from the "Dedication Fortune" to the "Health Fortune" also reflects the change in the priorities of young people's life focus and inner values. Some netizens said, "We still work hard, but we hope to do it healthily; we still strive for success, but we understand that our body is the only capital for our struggle."
A small "Health Fortune" card cannot lower a person's uric acid level or cure his cervical spondylosis, but it is a good omen. This small sense of ritual, wrapped in the atmosphere of praying for blessings and good luck during the Spring Festival, is like planting a seed of intention, making people pay more attention to themselves.
After all, the Health Fortune is the real "Universal Fortune." Only when we have health do we have the energy to love and live.
(Cheng Gong and Han Yue are pen names)