Display sugar and oil content in snacks such as samosa, pizza: Govt

NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry has urged all ministries and departments to instal displays of boards mentioning the sugar and oil content in snacks such as samosa, kachori, pizza, burger, french fries, soft drinks, gulab jamun and vadapav to promote healthy lifestyles and combat obesity and non-communicable diseases.

It has also called for printing health messages on all official stationery such as letterheads, envelopes, notepads, folders and publications to reinforce daily reminders on fighting obesity.

While the Oil Board mentioned snacks such as French fries, burgers, pizza, samosa, pakodas and vadapav, the Sugar Board included items such as soft drinks, gulab jamun and chocolate pastries.

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation, on Monday pitched for treating and regulating food items such as pizzas, burgers and doughnuts at par with samosa, jalebis and vadapav for health risks.

In the letter written on June 21, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that India is witnessing a sharp rise in obesity among both adults and children. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), more than one in five adults in the urban areas are overweight or obese.

The prevalence of childhood obesity is impacted by poor dietary habits and reduced physical activity. According to the Lancet Global Burden of Disease (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 a country with the second-highest global burden, she said.

Obesity significantly raises the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) 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.

Early prevention and health promotion are critical to reversing these trends.

In the letter, Srivastava referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to combat obesity through lifestyle changes.

“At the opening ceremony of the 38th National Games in Dehradun on 28 January 2025, the prime minister invoked the Fit India Campaign and urged citizens to adopt active, healthy lifestyles as part of the broader vision of Swastha Bharat. In his Mann Ki Raat, he called for a 10 per cent reduction in oil consumption,” the letter said.

In response to this national appeal and as part of the ministry’s flagship initiatives under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), it is imperative to promote sustainable behavioural changes at our workplaces. These include reducing excessive consumption of oil and sugar, both of which are key contributors to increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle-related disorders, Srivastava stated.

“We are proposing display of Sugar and Oil Boards initiative to promote healthier dietary habits in various settings. These boards serve as visual behavioural nudges in schools, offices, public institutions etc displaying key information about hidden fats and sugars in everyday foods,” the letter stated.

She requested all ministries to issue directions to all departments/ offices/ autonomous bodies and other public institutions/organisations to instal Oil and Sugar Board displays (digital static posters etc) in common areas (cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms and other public spaces) to raise awareness on harmful consumption. She asked them to print health messages on all official stationery (letterheads, envelopes, notepads, folders, etc) and publications to reinforce daily reminders on fighting obesity.

“Promote healthy meals and physical activity in offices through nutritious, healthier food options (more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat options, and by limiting availability of sugary drinks and high-fat snacks) and active workplace initiatives such encouraging use of stairs, organising short exercise breaks, and facilitating walking routes),” she said.

“These visual cues and practical tips are part of a larger national movement to reduce the burden of NCDs, and your ministry’s leadership in this regard can serve as an inspiration for wider behavioural transformation across government systems… Together, let us lead the way in turning the honourable prime minister’s vision of a Healthy India into a mass movement, starting right from our workplaces,” she said.

The letter also had a few prototypes of the boards as enclosures which it said can be customised according to requirement.(Agencies)