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NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
After 'Sugar Boards', CBSE Rolls Out 'Oil Boards' In Schools To Tackle Obesity
In a continued effort to create healthier school environments, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced 'Oil Boards' across its affiliated schools, following its earlier directive to establish 'Sugar Boards' in May. The initiative aims to raise awareness about unhealthy dietary fats and combat the rising prevalence of obesity among students. The CBSE, in a circular dated July 15, has asked schools to display Oil Boards in common areas such as cafeterias, hallways, and staff rooms. These digital or printed boards will serve as visual reminders to avoid excessive consumption of unhealthy oils, particularly those found in fried and processed foods. Schools have also been encouraged to incorporate health messages on official stationery and to promote nutritious meals and physical activity during the school day. Citing alarming trends in obesity, the board referred to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), which found that more than 20 per cent of adults in urban India are either overweight or obese. A study published in The Lancet's Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 forecast further reveals that the number of obese and overweight adults in India could rise from 18 crore in 2021 to nearly 45 crore by 2050-placing India among the top countries grappling with obesity-related health issues. Poor diet and sedentary lifestyle continue to be the primary contributors to childhood obesity, the CBSE noted. To counter this, schools have been urged to adopt healthier food practices such as offering more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat alternatives, while limiting access to sugary beverages and high-fat snacks. Simple measures like encouraging stair use, short exercise sessions, and designated walking areas have also been recommended to boost daily physical activity. This directive follows CBSE's earlier initiative on May 14 that introduced 'Sugar Boards' in schools to monitor and reduce sugar intake among children. That circular highlighted the rising incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children-a condition traditionally seen in adults-linked to the easy availability of sugar-laden foods in schools. Data cited then showed that children aged 4 to 18 years consume nearly three times the recommended daily sugar limit, contributing to long-term health risks including obesity and metabolic disorders.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
After 'sugar boards', CBSE asks schools to set up 'oil boards' to promote healthy eating habits
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked schools to set up "oil boards" to educate students and staff about harmful effects of consuming high-fat foods and oils and to serve as daily reminders promoting healthier eating habits, according to officials. The directive comes two months after the board asked schools to set up "sugar boards" to monitor and reduce the sugar intake of children. "Oil Boards" refer to posters or digital displays installed in shared spaces such as cafeterias, lobbies, and meeting rooms within school premises. These boards will aim to educate students and staff about the harmful effects of consuming high-fat foods and oils and to serve as daily reminders promoting healthier eating habits. "The data points out that there is a sharp rise in obesity among both adults and children. As per National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), 2019-21, over one in five adults in urban areas are overweight or obese," said Pragya M Singh, CBSE Director (Academics). Citing The Lancet Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 obesity forecasting study published in 2025, Singh said 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. "Prevalence of childhood obesity is impacted mostly by poor dietary habits and reduced physical activity," Singh added. The CBSE recommends installing oil board displays in common areas such as cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms, and other public spaces to raise awareness about harmful consumption. It also suggests printing health messages on all official stationery—such as letterheads, envelopes, notepads, folders, and publications—to provide daily reminders about fighting obesity. Additionally, it encourages promoting healthy meals. The board also made recommendations such as physical activity in schools through availability of nutritious, healthier food options (more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat options, and by limiting availability of sugary drinks and high-fat snacks) and activity initiatives (encouraging use of stairs, organizing short exercise breaks, and facilitating walking routes). "A few prototypes of such boards are available and schools may like to customise these as per their requirements. School students can be encouraged to prepare such boards as a part of experiential learning. Relevant IEC material including posters and videos are available at official YouTube channel of FSSAI," Singh said in a letter to schools.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
CBSE Urges Schools To Display 'Oil Boards,' Encourage Healthy Habits Among Students
To raise awareness among students about healthy eating habits, the CBSE has asked schools to display "oil boards" within their premises. These refer to posters that highlight the high oil content in common foods, along with related health information. The directive was issued by Dr Praggya M Singh, Director (Academics), CBSE, urging school heads to promote healthy lifestyles among students. This follows an earlier circular that asked schools to set up "sugar boards" with a similar objective. The new letter cites a significant rise in obesity cases among children and adults. Citing the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21, the circular said, "Over one in five adults in urban areas are overweight or obese." It also referred to the Lancet GBD 2021 obesity forecast (published in 2025), stating, "The number of overweight and obese adults in India is projected to rise from 18 crore in 2021 to 44.9 crore by 2050, making it the country with the second-highest global burden. Prevalence of childhood obesity is impacted mostly by poor dietary habits and reduced physical activity." Also Read: Food Authority Issues Advisory Against '100%' Claims In Food Labels - Why It Matters What The New CBSE Circular Asks Schools To Do The letter calls on schools to "sensitise" students and staff to these health issues by doing the following: Use Posters and Displays: Put up digital or printed posters in shared spaces such as cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms, and other public areas to highlight the risks of unhealthy eating. Add Health Messages on Stationery: Carry short health messages on school stationery such as letterheads, envelopes, notepads, and folders, to serve as regular reminders for preventing obesity. Encourage Healthy Habits in Schools: Promote healthy eating by offering more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat food options; limiting sugary and fatty snacks; and encouraging physical activity such as taking the stairs, short exercise breaks, and walking paths. Oil Board. Photo Credit: FSSAI What The Earlier Circular Said In May 2025, CBSE issued a separate circular directing schools to warn students about excessive sugar intake through the display of "sugar boards." These posters outline the recommended daily sugar limits, sugar content in popular items like cold drinks and fast food, health risks of sugar overconsumption, and healthier alternatives. Schools were asked to help students make more informed food choices for long-term health. The letter also encouraged seminars and workshops to raise awareness. Sugar Board Also Read: From Masala Oats To Flavoured Dahi: 10 Everyday Indian Foods With Hidden Sugar And Oil Related Recent Developments Posters warning against high sugar and oil consumption are not limited to schools. Central government offices and other institutions are also being asked to display similar boards to promote better dietary choices. In June, the Union Health Ministry proposed that boards showing oil and sugar content in common foods like pizzas, burgers, samosas, vada pav, and kachoris be "prominently displayed" in schools, offices, and other government departments and bodies, ANI reported. In recent months, these " sugar and fat boards" have sparked headlines and public debate around health, personal choice, and food habits. Advertisement For the latest food news, health tips and recipes, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and YouTube. Tags: Oil Board CBSE Circular CBSE Food News Health News Show full article Comments
India Today
2 days ago
- Health
- India Today
More than one in four couples in India are overweight or obese: ICMR study
A new study from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the country's top medical panel, has revealed rising obesity levels among married couples in India, highlighting that more than one in four couples (27.4%) are both overweight or on data from over 52,737 married couples as part of the NFHS-5 (2019–21), this is one of the largest investigations of spousal weight trends conducted in the study, led by ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, draws attention to what experts are calling "spousal concordance" in obesity, a situation where both partners mirror each other's unhealthy weight status. A SHARED JOURNEY TO WEIGHT GAINThe findings, published in Current Developments in Nutrition, suggest that couples are unknowingly reinforcing each other's unhealthy it's shared meals high in calories, late-night snacking, sedentary routines, or bonding over food, lifestyle choices often become aligned in a marriage.'From what we eat to how much we move, partners tend to mimic each other's behaviours,' noted the ICMR urban couples appear to be most study found that 27.4% of married couples in India are both overweight or obese. This means that more than one in four couples share a similar weight status, which is often the result of shared habits and lifestyle trend was seen more commonly among wealthier couples, especially those in the richest income group, where nearly 47.6% of couples were overweight or obese. Couples living in urban areas also showed a high rate of weight gain together, with 38.4% of city-based couples numbers were higher among couples living in nuclear families (28.9%) and those who were of similar age (28.8%) or had the same level of education (31.4%). Couples who were not doing paid work also showed a higher chance of being overweight together (33.9%).Media habits also seemed to play a role. Couples who regularly read newspapers (39.6%) or watched television (32.8%) had a higher risk of shared obesity. Similarly, eating habits mattered too, couples who ate non-vegetarian food like eggs (30.7%) and chicken (29.9%) every week were more likely to be overweight or the highest rates of overweight couples were found in the southern (37.2%) and northern (33.5%) parts of the country. States like Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Delhi, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab had the highest rates—more than 42% of couples in these states were overweight or researchers also found that some groups had a significantly higher risk of spousal obesity. These included couples from rich households, those living in urban areas, and those from certain religious eating certain foods regularly, such as eggs (14%), fish (25%), chicken (9%), fried foods (6%), and especially alcohol (98%)—was strongly linked to both partners gaining excess THAN JUST LIFESTYLEWhile diet and physical inactivity are major contributors, cultural and economic forces also play a Siri M Kamath, Consultant in Internal Medicine at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Bengaluru, told that overweight is still often associated with prosperity and good health, especially in older mindsets. 'Being slim is sometimes wrongly viewed as a sign of weakness,' said Dr. staples like rice and wheat are heavily subsidised through the public distribution system, while vegetables and protein-rich pulses remain less accessible.'This makes carbs more affordable and, unfortunately, more dominant in Indian meals,' the expert obesity being a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, infertility, and even certain cancers, the implications go far beyond appearance—they impact India's long-term health and COUPLE-BASED INTERVENTIONS MATTERThe ICMR researchers recommend a shift in how obesity is tackled in India. Rather than focusing on individuals, interventions should address couples and households, especially those in urban, affluent, and media-exposed concordance in overweight and obesity is strongly influenced by shared socioeconomic status, lifestyle behaviours, and dietary patterns,' the authors wrote. 'Public health strategies should prioritise couple-based interventions, especially among high-risk subgroups.'With over 27.4% of married couples now falling into the overweight or obese category, India must act fast, not just to treat obesity, but to prevent it from becoming a household epidemic.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
How much fat in a samosa? Schools to put up oil boards
Noida: After 'sugar boards', oil boards will be the next caution that schools affiliated with CBSE will advertise on campuses to discourage students from having processed and fried foods and promote healthy eating habits. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on July 15 issued a circular, asking all schools to display 'oil boards' in common areas such as cafeterias and lobbies. On these digital or physical posters, the circular said, schools must list out fat or oil content in different food items, such as 28g fat in one piece of samosa, 10g fat in a kachori, and 17g fat in a handful of fries. The move, the board said, was announced keeping in view the trend of rising obesity levels among youngsters across India. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida "Data points out that there is 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. According to The Lancet GBD 2021 obesity forecasting study, published in 2025, the number of overweight and obese adults in India is projected to rise from 18 crore in 2021 to 44.9 crore by 2050, making it the country with the second-highest global burden. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The prevalence of childhood obesity is impacted mostly by poor dietary habits and reduced physical activity," the circular read. CBSE's directive is similar to the notice issued on May 14, which asked all schools to display 'sugar boards'. Parents and school managements in Noida and Ghaziabad said on Thursday that it was an important initiative. "We wholeheartedly welcome CBSE's directive to display 'oil boards'. This is a vital extension of the earlier 'sugar board' initiative, and it reflects a strong, unified approach to tackle childhood obesity and unhealthy dietary habits. These boards will serve as daily reminders — educating students on the dangers of excessive oil consumption, eating junk food like chips, fries, and even muffins, cookies and cakes," said Naresh Ramamurthy, the national academic head at ORCHIDS, The International School. Some schools said that they would also include questions on oil and sugar content in food items in the general knowledge (GK) syllabus or in quiz sessions. "For a long time, we promoted healthy food habits. We also make scheduled tiffin routines for all classes. When the 'sugar board' concept was introduced, we asked students to make wall magazines for classes and corridors. Now, we are planning to include 'fat-fact' pointers in the GK syllabus. Out of 50 marks, 10-20 points will be on food habits," said Seema Jerath, principal of DLF Public School, Ghaziabad. Principal of Apeejay School in Noida, Neha Sharma, said she will introduce 'nukad natak' and presentations on health food habits. "Putting sugar or oil boards on chart papers is not enough. To make students aware of healthy habits and internalise the facts, the school has decided to do something that will make students curious. We will conduct nukkad natak and convey the message to parents," Sharma said. Sujata, whose daughter studies in a CBSE school in Noida, said kids don't tend to listen to their parents. "Children are always inclined towards junk food, cold drinks and fast food. Since they spend most of their time in schools, keeping a healthy habit will definitely be a good choice. Moreover, when they see other classmates following the same, it will influence them," she said. Nishant, a Class 7 student, said schools can moderate junk food availability on the campus. "Tasty food is always desirable. If I get home made food that tastes good, I'm okay with it. Schools can allow junk food sometimes, if not always. But it's true that consumption of more oily food will lead to several issues when we grow up," he said.
