Report: Over 34% of Israelis Are Overweight

A new report from the National Institute for Health Policy Research found that more than 34% of Israelis aged 20 to 64 are overweight, with obesity rates particularly high in Yerushalayim and Nazareth and very low in Tel Aviv. Those with a lower socioeconomic status have a higher incidence of diabetes and tend to smoke more.

The data also show a significant increase in the obesity rate among the lower strata between 2015 and 2021, from about 24% to about 36%. In comparison, obesity rates among the upper classes remained relatively stable, from about 14% to about 15%.

Diabetic morbidity rates are also higher in the lower status, with gaps widening between the lower and upper classes from 2.19 to 2.39 times between 2015 and 2021.

Professor Ronit Calderon-Margalit of Hadassah School of Public Health and Hebrew University called for national action to prevent and treat obesity.

Additional data show an increase in the proportion of smokers in all segments of the population between 2016 and 2021. However, the largest increase was observed among those of lower socioeconomic status, where smoking levels are nearly twice as high as among those of a higher socioeconomic status.