Needs a Shot of Encouragement

Yossi Arbelich argues in an opinion piece that the healthcare system must budget prevention hours at health funds to tackle the diabetes epidemic. He cites data on 677,000 adults with diabetes in Israel and criticizes the sweetened drink tax as a failure.

Yossi Arbelich, chairman and founder of the nonprofit "Lema'anchem," argues in an opinion piece on ynet that Israel's healthcare system must budget prevention hours at health funds to address the diabetes epidemic. According to the Community Quality Indicators report, as of 2025, about 677,000 adults in Israel have diabetes, 36,000 more than in 2024, and over half a million more are in a pre-diabetic state. The author describes how a proactive conversation with a family doctor can prevent disease development and offers a personal example of a friend who balanced his blood sugar thanks to early warning. He cites the American DPP study, which showed a 58% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes through guidance on dietary and physical activity changes. The author criticizes the sweetened drink tax policy, which brought in about 900 million shekels in 2022 but reduced consumption by only 12%, calling it a "failure." He calls for investing resources at the point of contact between doctor and patient and expresses hope that the new director general of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Itzik Kreiss, will lead a change in approach to preventive medicine.