The Education, Culture and Sports Committee, chaired by MK Yosef Taieb (Shas), convened on Wednesday for a debate on the prevention of obesity and diabetes among children and youth in Israel. The situation and the proposed solutions are dire.
The session revealed some very inconvenient truths.
1. State of anarchy and lawlessness. There are laws, but the laws and rules are not enforced. A general problem in Israel. Laws are only enforced if they harm the elected governments or are against the right camp, but all other rules are not enforced. Just a look at the anarchy in the streets of Israel gives evidence. No difference in other realms for example laws protecting children and their health.
Minister of Health MK Uriel Busso (Shas) said, “The issue of obesity is an emergency issue, as far as we’re concerned. There are laws, but there is no enforcement“
2. The consumption is too high. It is said by experts that the daily consumption is about 30 teaspoons which is equivalent to 150 grams of sugar. The average for children in Germany is about 103 grams/day. However, the allowed daily portion is up to 30 grams. Better 0.
3. Budgeterian mismanagement. The tax money raised by sugar consumption is not used adequately but goes into the general budget without any effects. With the surplus of money raised by taxing sugar, no roads or apartments are built.
Minister MK Busso said about the taxation of sweet beverages, “When you talk about a tax and the money doesn’t go to prevent that problem, you miss the purpose. It’s like taking a tax on white bread because it’s less healthy than whole-grain bread, and then building a road with the money. When you don’t take the money for that purpose—you’ve missed the point.”
I guess, as said, the public would be happy if the money would be used at least to build and maintain roads. However, this does not happen either.
4. The costs of living are too high. Dr. Blaychfeld Magnazi (Director of the Nutrition Division at the Ministry of Health) presented data showing that about one-third of Israel’s children are overweight, and teenagers are at high risk for health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
The data shows that one in five six-year-olds is overweight, and the situation becomes more severe with age. Dr. Blaychfeld Magnazi stated that there were gaps in the frequency of overweight and obesity among children from the Jewish and Arab sectors, and presented National Insurance Institute statistics showing that 40% of the Arab and Haredi societies cannot cover the cost of healthy food.
In other the high costs of living – caused by the oligopolistic structures and high taxes to sustain the overboarding bureaucracy – are making children sick and letting them die earlier.
The Battle Cry of the “Deep State” – More State! More Bureaucracy! Nudge the Citizens!
The suggestions from the “deep state” are remarkable. Instead of holding the state responsible, instead of enforcing existing laws and instead of lowering the costs of living, the parents are reprimanded and admonished.
Dr. Moran Blaychfeld Magnazi presented the goals of the ‘National Program for Prevention of Obesity and Diabetes among Children and Parents‘ for the next five years: Raising awareness of the problem, developing healthy habits at a young age, making healthy nutrition accessible to children and their families, and reducing morbidity by making medicines accessible.
Health Committee Chair MK Mashriki joins finally the chorus in blaming the citizens and media as if the high costs of living are the fault of the citizens and media.
Based on these wrong assumptions he gives very outdated socialist advice by calling for more state interference: “In my view, the State of Israel doesn’t educate to health. When a child sits at home in front of the screen with popcorn, the parent isn’t always there to supervise. He has to receive tools in school. We’re talking about a very low investment of money versus large expenditures later on.”
However, he made one point, stating correctly: “The budget that Israel invests in health education is less than NIS 40 million. Morbidity costs NIS 25 billion.“
No wonder there is a unanimous call in this committee for more socialism, for more state aka to establish more bureaucracy to nudge the citizens. The recommendations of the committee are utterly wrong: “In summation, the committees called to advance urgently the establishment of a national agency for prevention of obesity among children and youth, which would include representatives of government ministries, civil society organizations, local authorities and parents’ organizations.“
Instead: Enforce the laws and lower the costs of living, so that everybody can afford healthy food. There is enough state and bureaucracy in Israel.
Based on the press release of the Knesset (17.11.2024). Selected as relevant/augmented/lectured by VonNaftali. Pic by AI. Symbolic.