New Delhi: In a bid to promote healthy lifestyles and curb rising obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Health Ministry of India has directed all ministries and departments to display boards highlighting the sugar and oil content in popular snacks like samosas, kachoris, pizzas, burgers, French fries, soft drinks, gulab jamuns, and vada pav.
The advisory issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is about displaying oil and sugar boards at workplaces.
The ministry also recommended printing health-related messages on official stationery, including letterheads, envelopes, notepads, folders, and publications, to reinforce awareness on a daily basis, PTI reported.
The proposed “Oil Board” will list items such as French fries, burgers, pizzas, samosas, pakoras, and vada pav, while the “Sugar Board” will include soft drinks, gulab jamuns, and chocolate pastries.
Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation, supported the move, suggesting that items like pizzas, burgers, and doughnuts be treated with the same health concern as traditional Indian snacks like samosas, jalebis, and vada pav.
In a letter dated June 21, GoI Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted a sharp increase in obesity among Indian adults and children. As per NFHS-5 (2019–21), over 20% of adults in urban areas are either overweight or obese.
She cited the 2021 Lancet Global Burden of Disease (GBD) obesity study (published in 2025), which predicts that the number of overweight or obese adults in India will rise from 18 crore in 2021 to 44.9 crore by 2050 — making India the country with the second-highest obesity burden globally.
Srivastava warned that obesity elevates the risk of serious NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments, and certain cancers. It also affects mental health, reduces mobility, and impacts quality of life, placing a strain on healthcare systems and productivity.
Emphasising prevention and health promotion as key to reversing the trend, Srivastava referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call during the 38th National Games in Dehradun on January 28, 2025. There, Modi invoked the Fit India Campaign and encouraged citizens to embrace healthier lifestyles as part of the Swastha Bharat vision. He also urged a 10% reduction in oil consumption during his *Mann Ki Raat* address.
As part of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), Srivastava stressed the need to encourage sustainable behavioural changes in workplaces. This includes cutting down excessive intake of oil and sugar—major contributors to obesity, diabetes, and lifestyle-related illnesses.
The proposed Sugar and Oil Boards will act as visual nudges in offices, schools, and public places, highlighting the hidden sugars and fats in commonly consumed foods.
The health secretary asked ministries to instruct their departments, offices, autonomous bodies, and public institutions to place these visual boards (digital or static posters) in cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms, and other shared spaces. She also called for health messages to be printed on all official stationery to promote consistent reminders about healthy living.
Additionally, she encouraged ministries to promote nutritious meals at work, offer healthier food choices (more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat options), limit sugary drinks and high-fat snacks, and foster physical activity through measures like encouraging stair use, short exercise breaks, and designated walking areas.
“These visual prompts and lifestyle suggestions are part of a broader national initiative to reduce NCDs,” Srivastava wrote, adding that leadership from ministries could inspire a widespread cultural shift. “Let’s work together to turn the prime minister’s vision of a Healthy India into a mass movement—beginning with our own workplaces.”
Prototypes of the boards were attached to the letter for reference and can be customised as needed.
