Report Reveals Stark Health Disparities Between Israel's Center and Periphery
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
A new report on Israeli public health for 2025 reveals a concerning rise in childhood obesity, with nearly 9% of 7-year-olds affected and significant regional differences. The report also highlights increasing diabetes rates and a 14% rise in antidepressant use since 2022, particularly in the Arab community. Dental health check-ups for children also show disparities between central and peripheral areas.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Nearly 9% of Israeli 7-year-olds are obese, a record high, with Ashkelon reporting over 13%.
- Diabetes affects over 11% of Israeli adults, with rates in Nazareth nearly 70% higher than in Tel Aviv.
- Antidepressant use rose 14% since 2022, with a 29% surge in the Arab community.
- Over half of 6- and 12-year-old children have not had a routine dental check-up in two years.
- Professor Nachman Ash urged prioritizing childhood obesity prevention and reducing health disparities.
A new report on community health quality indicators for 2025 highlights significant public health challenges in Israel, including rising childhood obesity, increased psychiatric medication use, and stark disparities between the country's center and periphery. The report, released Tuesday, indicates that nearly 9% of Israeli 7-year-olds are obese, a record high since measurements began in 2014. Ashkelon leads this trend with over 13% of its children obese, followed by the Western Galilee region at approximately 12%. Conversely, Judea and Samaria and Bnei Brak reported the lowest rates, between 4-5%.
Professor Nachman Ash, Chairman of the National Institute for Health Policy Research, stressed the urgent need to combat childhood obesity, warning of future chronic illnesses. He called for increased investment in prevention and for local authorities and the next government to prioritize reducing health disparities. The report also shows a rise in diabetes, with over 11% of the adult population, or 677,000 individuals, affected. Notably, diabetes rates in Nazareth are nearly 70% higher than in Tel Aviv.
In mental health, the use of antidepressant medications has increased by 14% since 2022, prior to the war. The Arab community saw the sharpest rise at 29%. Tel Aviv and the Western Negev reported the highest consumption of antidepressants, while Haifa had the highest use of sedatives and tranquilizers.
For the first time, the report addressed dental health in children, revealing that over half of 6-year-olds and more than half of 12-year-olds have not had a routine dental check-up in the past two years. Disparities persist, with the rate of examined children in Ramat Gan being nearly double that of Safed.
Mentioned
