Eating Healthy

Aviel Yelinek

In recent years we have seen an increasing awareness of healthy nutrition. Every few months, new research findings shed light on various aspects of good nutrition such as recommended foods, foods that should be avoided, and vitamins and minerals whose consumption is especially important. Chain store shelves are stocked with new “health” products. If in the past we settled for eating a bread roll or pita, today we are exposed to a variety of breads made of whole wheat, rye, and various grains. Ingredients that were known to only a few in the past, such as Omega-3 or bifidobacteria (bio yogurts), have received widespread public recognition, and today they are being added to many foods as part of the effort to market these foods as “healthier” than the competition. “Healthy” foods such as quinoa or whole grain (brown) rice are popular in many households these days.

In this context, the 2010 Social Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics provides interesting data regarding the nutrition habits of Jerusalem residents.

Dieticians advise eating breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day. Compared to residents of other major cities in Israel, Jerusalemites are the “healthiest” in this respect, and 66% of them are strict about eating breakfast every day. This figure compares to 61% of Haifa residents, 57% of Rishon LeZion residents, 55% of Israel’s residents, and 50% of Tel Aviv residents. Accordingly, the percentage of Jerusalemites who reported that they almost never eat breakfast (once a week or less often) was the lowest among the major cities, at 18%. This compares to 21% of Haifa residents, 24% of Israel’s residents, 28% of Rishon LeZion residents, and 31% of Tel Aviv residents.

Another question addressed eating habits regarding fruits and vegetables. Here too, Jerusalemites were found to be the “healthiest.” The percentage of Jerusalem residents who reported that they are extremely strict or very strict about eating fruits and vegetables stood at 74%. This is similar to Tel Aviv residents (74%) and higher than the figure for residents of Israel (68%), Haifa (67%), and Rishon LeZion (66%).

It is interesting to note that compared to residents of the other major cities, Jerusalemites are less strict about examining the nutritional ingredients on food packages. The percentage of Jerusalem residents who reported doing so frequently or sometimes stood at 49%, lower than the percentage for residents of Israel (57%), Tel Aviv and Rishon LeZion (65%), and Haifa (67%).

Source: Analysis of data from the Social Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics.

To smoke or not to smoke?

Inbal Doron

During 2010, the Social Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics explored the issue of health in depth and collected a large amount of data about cigarette smoking in Israel. Approximately 1,270,000 individuals aged 20 and above reported that they currently smoke. This figure represents 27% of Israel’s population for the 20+ age group. Among these smokers, 64% are men and 36% are women. In Jerusalem, 105,000 individuals indicated that they currently smoke, representing 24% of the city’s population aged 20 and above. This is lower than the figures for Tel Aviv and Haifa, where the percentage of smokers among the population’s 20+ age group is 32% and 29% respectively. In Jerusalem the ratio of men among the smokers was relatively high (75%) compared to Tel Aviv (55%) and Haifa (58%).

The percentage of smokers in Jerusalem is not relatively high, but Jerusalemites smoke more cigarettes per day. Only 17% smoke fewer than five cigarettes per day, compared to 30% in Tel Aviv and 25% in Haifa. A total of 70% smoke more than 11 cigarettes per day, which is much higher than the figure for Tel Aviv (50%) or for Israel and Haifa (55%).

The data indicate that the starting age for smoking in Israel is quite young. Among today’s smokers aged 20 and above, 64% started smoking before age 18. In Jerusalem the percentage of smokers who started smoking before age 18 was 58%, in Tel Aviv it was 65%, and in Haifa 67%.

Today 39% of smokers in Jerusalem are trying to quit. Jerusalemites who had smoked in the past indicated that their main reason for quitting was a health problem or health concern (70%), family and societal pressure (8%), or an aesthetic problem (6%). Less than 1% indicated that they quit smoking because of the high financial cost.

And what about passive smoking? In 1983 a law was passed to prevent smoking and exposure to smoke in public places, including workplaces. Despite this, approximately 338,000 individuals in Jerusalem, representing 77% of the population aged 20 and above, reported on exposure to smoke in their workplaces. Among these, 45% are exposed to smoke to a large or very large extent. 

Source: Analysis of data from the Social Survey 2010, Central Bureau of Statistics  

A Brand New Apartment

Yair Assaf-Shapira

The sale of newly constructed apartments serves as an indication of activity in the construction and real estate sector, in terms of both supply and demand. For the most part these apartments are sold “on paper,” that is, before construction is completed. The data below relate to apartments built through private initiatives, not at the initiative of the Ministry of Construction and Housing.

During the first half of 2011, a total of 380 new apartments that had been built through private construction were sold. This figure represents a decrease in the sale of such apartments in comparison to the second half of 2010, during which 630 new apartments were sold within the city. The number of new apartments sold in Jerusalem is also low in comparison to other cities in Israel. During the first half of 2011, for example, 770, 590, and 540 apartments were sold in Petah-Tikva, Netanya, and Ashkelon respectively.

Despite the low figure for the first half of 2011, there has actually been an increase in the sale of new apartments in Jerusalem. During the period from the beginning of 2009 until June 2011 (5 half-year periods), a total of 2,360 privately constructed apartments were sold in Jerusalem – 650 more than during the preceding period of the same duration (July 2006 through the end of 2008).

Similarly, increasing trends were recorded in other cities, foremost among them Petah Tikva and Ashkelon, where apartment sales during this period rose by 1,680 and 1,440 respectively. The opposite trend was recorded in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Holon, and Rishon LeZion, where apartment sales decreased during this period in comparison to the preceding period.

Compared to other districts in Israel, the apartments sold in the Jerusalem District (including the city of Jerusalem and additional localities) during the first half of 2011 had been on the market a relatively long period of time, measuring from the start of construction until their sale. These apartments remained on the market approximately 7 months (median value), compared to 1.7 months for the national median. For the purposes of comparison, during 2010 apartments in the Jerusalem district were “snatched up” within only 1.3 months, compared to 2.5 months for the national median.

 

Sources: Survey of New Dwellings for Sale under Private Construction (for the years noted), Central Bureau of Statistics; Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem, 2011.

Physical Exercise

Michal Korach

The Central Bureau of Statistics recently published the findings of a health survey that it had conducted for the purpose of providing data in the areas of health, use of healthcare services, health-related habits, and health insurance, as well as measuring changes in these indicators over time.

One of the survey questions addressed the issue of physical exercise. Physical exercise has important implications in terms of both physical and mental health. Engaging in physical exercise is important not only for losing weight and maintaining physical fitness, but also for improving one’s overall physical condition, reducing the likelihood of chronic illnesses, and improving wellbeing and mental health.

The survey indicates that during 2009, 20% of Israel’s population aged 20 and above engaged in physical exercise (a cumulative total of at least 30 minutes during the day) at least three times a week. The percentage of Jews and others (23%) who engaged in physical exercise was significantly higher than the percentage of Arabs (6%). Within the Jewish population there are significant differences in the level of engagement in physical exercise in accordance with place of birth: the highest percentage of those aged 20 and above who engaged in physical exercise was recorded among people born in Europe and America (25%), followed by those born in Israel (24%), Asia (21%), and Africa (16%).

The data indicate that a correlation exists between years of education and engagement in physical activity. As the years of education received increases, the percentage of people engaged in physical activity increases: among those with 0-8 years of education, 8% engaged in physical activity, compared to 23% among those with 13-15 years of education and 29% among those with 16 or more years of education.

The percentage of people who engage in physical exercise in Jerusalem is lower than in the other major cities. In Jerusalem approximately 19% of those aged 20 and above engaged in physical exercise, compared to 26% in Tel Aviv and Haifa and 23% in Rishon LeZion. As the graph indicates, the percentage of men who engage in physical exercise is generally higher than the percentage of women. The percentages of men and women who engage in physical exercise in Jerusalem are close, measuring 20% and 18%, respectively.