Sugar Boards

Sugar Boards : Recently, in a proactive effort to encourage healthier eating habits among students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) directed its over 24,000 affiliated schools to establish ‘sugar boards’.

• About Sugar Boards: Visual displays highlighting health risks of excess sugar and showing sugar content in popular packaged foods and drinks.

o Inspired by a public awareness campaign led by food influencer Revant Himatsingka.

o Students participate in workshops where they:

ü Paste beverage bottles onto the board.

ü Label them with actual sugar content (in grams and teaspoons).

• Why Are Sugar Boards Important?

o Warning by NCPCR: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has flagged a rise in Type 2 diabetes among children—once considered an adult-only condition.

o Root Causes: Easy access to sugary, processed foods and limited awareness in school environments.

o India: ~397 cases per 1 lakh children—second-highest globally after China (734 cases).

o Sugar Consumption: Children aged 4–10 years get 13% of daily calories from sugar.

ü Ages 11–18 years get 15%—three times the WHO-recommended 5%.