Haredi Community Faces Rising Health Concerns, Early Diabetes

A growing trend of individuals in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community developing pre-diabetes in their 30s is a cause for concern, according to fitness coach Moshe Mans. In an interview, Mans highlighted the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and poor health habits within the community, leading to serious health issues like heart attacks at a young age.

Mans, who also works in the media sphere of the Haredi world, shared anecdotes about religious figures, including rabbis and rabbinical judges (dayanim), who have begun engaging in fitness activities. He recounted a humorous incident where a Hasidic judge's pants ripped during his first squatting exercise, illustrating the initial challenges and perhaps the novelty of such pursuits in the community.

The coach expressed alarm at the community's shift towards laziness and the subsequent health repercussions, stating, "We have become lazy people who suffer heart attacks at 35." He emphasized the need for greater awareness and adoption of healthier lifestyles to combat these emerging health crises.