In a major push to tackle India’s growing obesity crisis, the Union Health Ministry has directed all government ministries, departments, and autonomous bodies to display newly designed “oil and sugar boards” in canteens and public eating areas within their premises.

The directive, issued on June 21 by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, aims to create greater awareness about the calorie, fat, and sugar content in everyday snacks such as samosas, kachoris, vada pav, french fries, and soft drinks.

“India is witnessing a sharp rise in obesity among both adults and children. As per NFHS-5 (2019–21), over one in five adults in urban areas are overweight or obese,” Srivastava said in the letter. She cited alarming projections from the Lancet Global Burden of Disease Study, which estimates the number of overweight and obese adults in India could rise from 18 crore to 44.9 crore by 2050—making India the second-highest contributor to global obesity after the United States.

The “oil and sugar boards,” developed by India’s apex food regulator, will visually display:

• The fat and sugar content in common snacks; 
• Recommended daily limits (27–30 grams of fat and 25 grams of sugar for adults, 20 grams for children); 
• Side-by-side comparisons showing sugar levels in soft drinks, juices, chocolates, and sweets, with graphics depicting equivalent teaspoons of sugar. 

In addition to these boards, all official stationery, including letterheads, notepads, envelopes, and files, will now feature printed health advisories to serve as constant reminders to adopt healthier lifestyles.

“Obesity significantly raises the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and certain cancers. It also affects mental health, mobility, and quality of life, and imposes a heavy economic burden through increased healthcare costs and productivity losses,” the Health Ministry stated.

The move is part of a broader nationwide campaign aligned with the Prime Minister’s Fit India initiative. Institutions have also been encouraged to offer healthier food choices in canteens and promote greater physical activity in workplaces and schools.

While the step has drawn praise for being timely and impactful, public sentiment on social media has also called for additional reforms, including mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labeling and tighter regulation of food advertisements that mislead consumers.

The rollout of the “oil and sugar boards” is expected to begin this month across offices, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities.

Also read: Rethinking obesity: Focus on overall health, not weight loss, urge doctors in BMJ piece