Israel: 64% of adults are overweight, WHO report finds
7% of young Israelis aged 7 to 15 are also overweight
In Israel 64 percent of adults are overweight, according to a new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), whose evaluation criterion is a body mass index greater than 25.
According to the data, 7 percent of young Israelis between the ages of 7 and 15 are also overweight.
In the light of the report, Dr. Dror Dicker, director of the overweight treatment center at Hasharon Hospital, underlined that in his opinion "too little effort was devoted to the fight against obesity which is a disease common in the country."
To remedy obesity, he advocates the establishment of footpaths and cycle paths, the increase in taxes on products deemed harmful to health as well as the opening of specialized care centers.
While 19 percent of Israeli girls aged 10 to 15 have dieted, Dr. Dicker says this is not a solution.
“Diets are often ineffective and can lead to eating disorders,” he says.
Malta and Turkey are worse off than Israel according to WHO data, with respectively 66 percent and 67 percent of their populations being overweight.
The WHO report notes a worsening of obesity in developed countries since the pandemic.
In a previous report published earlier this month, its experts pointed to an "epidemic" of obesity and overweight rates in Europe.