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The Hindu
18-07-2025
- 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.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Health risks: CBSE directs schools to set up ‘oil boards'
NEW DELHI: In a move to curb rising obesity rates among children and adults, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed schools to install 'oil boards' — visual aids meant to spread awareness about the health risks of high-fat food and oil consumption. These boards, which will be displayed in common areas such as cafeterias, lobbies, and meeting rooms, will serve as daily reminders to encourage healthier dietary choices among students and staff. This initiative follows a similar directive issued two months ago, when schools were asked to install 'sugar boards' to help reduce students' sugar intake. 'The boards are part of a broader push to address the alarming increase in obesity rates,' said Pragya M Singh, director (Aacademics), CBSE. Citing data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21), she noted that more than one in five urban adults in India are overweight or obese. The CBSE has also urged the schools to promote physical activity through measures like encouraging stair use, organising short exercise breaks during the day, and creating safe walking routes within school premises.
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Business Standard
17-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
CBSE asks schools to set up 'oil boards' to curb high-fat food intake
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. Installing oil board displays in common areas (cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms and other public spaces) to raise awareness on harmful consumption; printing health messages on all official stationery (letterheads, envelopes, notepads and folders) and publications to reinforce daily reminders on fighting obesity besides promoting healthy meals are among the recommendations made by the CBSE. 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 customize 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. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
