On June 7, on the occasion of World Food Safety Week, Union Health Minister JP Nadda announced that the ‘oil and sugar boards’, developed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), would be widely promoted across schools, workplaces, and public institutions.The boards aim to serve as powerful visual advocacy tools that display clear, relatable information about hidden sugars and fats in everyday food items, he had said.On June 21, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava wrote and proposed to all secretaries, ministries, and departments of the government of India to display ‘sugar and oil boards’ as an initiative to promote healthier dietary habits in various settings.”These boards serve as visual behavioural nudges in schools, offices, public institutions, etc., displaying key information about hidden fats and sugars in everyday foods.”As per NFHS-5 (2019-21), over one in five adults in urban areas are overweight or obese.According to a 2023 survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), 25.4 crore Indians, or 28.6 per cent of the population, had generalised obesity.The ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, in its dietary guidelines released last year, also stated that 56.4 per cent of India’s total disease burden is due to unhealthy diets.As per The Lancet Global Burden of Disease 2021 obesity forecasting study, published in 2025, the number of overweight and obese adults in India is projected to rise from 18 crores in 2021 to 44.9 crores by 2050, making it the country with the second-highest global burden.
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