Samosa, jalebi join cigarettes on health alert list
NAGPUR: The jalebi might soon come with a guilt trip. The samosa, a side of shame. And your chai biscuit? A health warning on the wall behind it.
The health ministry has ordered all central institutions, including AIIMS Nagpur, to install "oil and sugar boards" - vivid posters spelling out how much hidden fat and sugar lurk in everyday snacks.
It's a first step toward treating junk food like tobacco.
The boards aim to act as quiet but pointed reminders in govt institutions, alerting citizens to the sugar and oil content in snacks considered cultural staples. A laddoo, a vada pav, a pakora - all under scrutiny. AIIMS Nagpur officials confirmed the directive. Cafeterias and public areas will soon display the warnings. "It's the beginning of food labelling becoming as serious as cigarette warnings," said Amar Amale, president of Cardiological Society of India's Nagpur chapter.
"Sugar and trans fats are the new tobacco. People deserve to know what they're eating."
Govt's internal note draws a sharp line under the country's growing obesity crisis. More than 44.9 crore Indians are projected to be overweight or obese by 2050 - placing the country second only to the US. Already, one in five urban adults is overweight. The rise in childhood obesity, driven by poor diet and low activity, deepens the concern.
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"This is not about banning food," said senior diabetologist Sunil Gupta. "But if people knew that one gulab jamun might contain five teaspoons of sugar, they might think twice before going for seconds." Doctors and health advocates see this as part of the broader war on non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, many of which are linked to diet.
Nagpur will be among the first to reflect that shift - not with bans, but with bold, visual nudges. Near every tempting snack, a colourful sign will watch over: "Eat wisely. Your future self will thank you."
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