Sad News: Israelis Rank First in Global Sugar Consumption

Concerning Findings: A special report by the OECD indicates that Israel ranks first in sugar consumption worldwide. According to the report, the average sugar consumption in Israel is 170 grams per capita, followed by Malaysia with about 160 grams per capita, Brazil with 155 grams per capita, and even the USA follows - with an average of 142 grams per day per capita.

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, daily sugar consumption per person should not exceed eight teaspoons per day for men (32 grams), and six teaspoons for women (24 grams).

Excessive sugar intake can lead to obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes. In addition to these diseases, excess glucose in the blood causes headaches, migraines, dizziness, depression, addiction, damage to the pancreas, impaired vision, premature aging, among others.

Currently, the Ministry of Health is attempting to promote a policy of labeling products with excessive sugar amounts using red stickers to mark them as unhealthy. This is in addition to labeling in cases of excess salt and other predefined substances. In response to this initiative, food manufacturers have commented that it is a poor move, which will result in approximately 60% of food products in Israel being labeled as 'unhealthy'.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman responded to the report's findings: "These are very concerning data that require drastic measures from a public responsibility standpoint. The Ministry of Health is determined to eradicate the phenomenon and bring about a dramatic change in sugar consumption to protect public health and prevent illness." Litzman also added that "the Food Regulation Committee is currently working on finding practical and effective solutions."

Prof. Ardon Rubinstein, President of the Israeli Diabetes Association, said: "A sugar consumption of 170 grams is very high and requires changing dietary habits." Rubinstein noted that in his estimation, there will be a decrease in sugar consumption in the coming years: "Just as there was significant success in reducing the number of smokers, so we will succeed in reducing sugar," he said.