Title : Professional dining and health
Abstract:
The population in Israel is composed of diverse communities: Jews, Arabs, and immigrant groups from various countries, including communities from Yemen, Ethiopia, Morocco, the former Soviet Union, and a long-standing population.
Numerous medical studies have examined specific morbidity rates among immigrant populations from different countries, particularly from Yemen, Morocco, and Ethiopia. Researchers have shown particular interest in the changes occurring over time in the rates of various diseases-specifically regarding the digestive and cardiovascular systems-since these groups immigrated to Israel and changed their lifestyles and the types of food they consumed.
Our research focused on the kibbutzim-groups that lived primarily in rural areas and maintained a communal lifestyle. They traditionally operated shared dining halls and laundries, and initially, their children lived in communal "children's houses" to allow parents to dedicate their time to work. The dining hall was managed professionally by members who underwent specialized training. Kibbutz members were characterized by a higher-than-average life expectancy, which is attributed to physical activity and supervised nutrition within the communal dining halls.
Many kibbutzim established assisted living facilities for the elderly and ensured that professional medical staff resided on-site to care for sick and disabled members who required medical supervision. These facilities eventually expanded to admit non-kibbutz members for a fee. Over the years, structural changes occurred in most kibbutzim, such as the abolition of the communal children's houses in favor of children living with their parents.
In the 1980s, many kibbutzim that had taken out loans fell into an economic crisis and required government assistance. This crisis led to a decline in the proportion of kibbutz members to just 4% of Israel's general population, at a time when the elderly (ages 65 and over) constituted a third of the membership. Unlike younger, capable members who left the kibbutz after finding livelihoods elsewhere, the elderly-who had not accumulated private capital for retirement-found it difficult to leave. Providing economic protection for the elderly was a primary condition for the kibbutzim to receive financial aid from the government.
Our study found that despite the significant increase in life expectancy within the kibbutzim, no unusual morbidity rates were found in the digestive systems of kibbutz members. The central dining hall, managed professionally, contributed greatly to their overall health.
