Report Finds Record Obesity Among Israel's Seven-Year-Olds

Obesity among Israel's seven-year-olds reached 8.6% in 2025, the highest level since national monitoring began in 2014, according to a newly reported community-health indicators report. The findings also show geographic and socioeconomic gaps in preventive care, alongside improvements in some measures of treatment and children's dental examinations. The childhood obesity rate rose from 8.4% in 2024, its second consecutive annual increase, compared with 7.9% when measurement began. The Ashkelon district recorded 13.1%, while Bnei Brak recorded 4.4%. Among adults, diabetes prevalence increased from 10.6% to 11%, affecting about 677,000 people, approximately 36,000 more than a year earlier. At the same time, 79% of diabetes patients aged 18 to 84 met the treatment-control indicator, the highest recorded proportion. Routine dental examinations within a two-year period were recorded for 50.9% of six-year-olds and 45.3% of twelve-year-olds, both improvements over 2023. Gaps remained: among six-year-olds from low-to-middle socioeconomic backgrounds, participation was 43.9%, compared with 57.7% in the highest group. Mammography participation fell from 72.3% to 71.5%, and colorectal screening from 64.9% to 64.4%. The Jerusalem district ranked last in all three cancer-screening measures assessed. Prof. Nachman Ash, chairman of the Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research, said, "Health gaps are not inevitable." He called for sustained government policy, investment in infrastructure and staff, and stronger community care and prevention. The National Program for Quality Indicators in Community Healthcare draws on records from all four health funds; its coverage excludes soldiers, prisoners and people without a full year of fund membership.