Israelis are neglecting their health
Photo: Marian Hall
One million smokers
Photo: Gabi Menashe
One million smokers
Health Ministry survey reveals troubling data regarding our health: a million of us smoke, half of us do not partake in any physical activity, but our situation is not so bad in relation to other countries
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are neglecting their health and are at risk of getting heart disease, strokes, and blood-cell diseases, a recent Health Ministry survey revealed.
The survey showed that many Israelis also suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and excess fat.
Survey results:
- 16.8 percent of Israeli women and 13.5 percent of Israeli men suffer from high blood pressure.
- More than 680,000 people suffer from high levels of fat in their blood.
- More than 200,000 people suffer from Diabetes.
- 18 percent of Israeli women smoke, compared with 32.7 percent of men; all in all, some one million Israelis smoke.
- More than 2 million people are not physically active. Among the Arab-Israeli population, the numbers are even higher, 76 percent of the women and 62 percent of the men are not physically active.
- The number of overweight Arab-Israeli women is almost double that of overweight Israeli women, and twice as many Arab-Israeli women suffer from Diabetes.
Dr. Eldad Rehavia of Hasharon Hospital says last month’s wave of admissions into internal hospital wards and emergency units proves the country’s health situation is dire.
“The survey shows a total failure regarding the issue of preventive medicine,” he says. “Awareness of heart diseases should be top priority."
Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the world, and the results show the instruction the Israelis need is simply inadequate, he says.
Despite the distressing statistics, our situation in relation to the rest of the world is not so bad.
Compared to the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain, we are in better shape with regards to Diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
Also, the number of smokers in Israel is among the lowest of all western countries.
