India's Battle Against Obesity: Display Boards to Warn of Fat and Sugar

Obesity rates are increasing in India, with NFHS data indicating that from 2005-06 to 2019-21, obesity among men rose from 15% to 24%, and among women from 12% to nearly 23%. The health ministry has instructed schools, offices, and public institutions to put up display boards in canteens to alert people about the fat and sugar content in available foods. For instance, samosas, known for their crispy, flaky crust and spicy filling, will be evaluated based on their trans fat content, while tea, a popular afternoon pick-me-up, will be assessed by its sugar content. The goal is to emphasize the negative health impacts of regularly consuming these items. The campaign will initially be launched at AIIMS in Nagpur and subsequently rolled out in other cities across the country.

Two months ago, CBSE had directed all affiliated schools to install 'sugar boards' in their schools so that the amount of sugar intake among children can be reduced. Information will be given on these boards about how much sugar is okay to eat daily, how much sugar is there in common food, what can be the harm from eating too much sugar and what are its better alternatives. After the instructions of the Ministry of Health, samosas and jalebis became so popular that millions of people searched the history of samosa and jalebi on social media platforms. Interesting stories are also coming out about which country samosa and jalebi are produced and which countries they traveled through to reach India. Never before in the history of humanity has food been so abundant and yet it has never been burdened by our complex feelings about ourselves and our bodies. We tell ourselves that we are not "entitled" to another spoonful of ice cream because we could not walk even 10,000 steps that day.

We “cheat” on our diets by eating pizza and cake and feel proud of not eating more than a spoonful of rice with baked fish and steamed broccoli. Hunger is no longer a biological imperative, it is an accounting of macro and micro nutrients, “empty” calories, “good” and “bad” fats. Through this initiative, this information will now be put forward clearly so that people eat mindfully after seeing it, just like warnings are given on cigarette packets. However, if strict laws and necessary policies are not implemented, then habits cannot change by just spreading awareness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while referring to health in the 119th episode of Mann Ki Baat on February 23, said that to become a fit and healthy India, we have to deal with the problem of obesity. The PM had said that according to a study, today one in every eight people is troubled by the problem of obesity. Obesity cases have doubled in the past years, but what is even more worrying is that obesity has increased fourfold even among children. Recently, a report has come out on the problem of obesity. This report says that by 2050, more than 44 crore Indians will be obese. This figure is scary. This means that one in every three people can suffer from a serious disease due to obesity. Obesity can be fatal. One person in every family will be a victim of obesity. This will be a big crisis. In our food-loving, obesity-shaming, hunger-blaming culture. It lies in the fact that now food is not sold to us on the basis of what is in it, but on the basis of what is not in it.

We are living in a time where, as the meme suggests, we have 'super easy, two-ingredient, low-calorie, no-bake, no-refrigeration, no-flour, no-sugar, no-gluten, no-eggs, no-carbs, no-fat, no-beans, no-greens, no-tomatoes, no-lamb, no-ram, no-pig, no-dog, no-chicken, no-turkey, no-rabbit, you name it, high-protein peanut butter, banana, oat bar.' Our relationship with food is so dysfunctional that it's easier to mock than to mend. Is banning delicious items the only way to ensure healthy eating? This raises the question of whether governments can alter the eating habits of the general public by issuing such directives. Will governments decide what you eat and drink? There is no oversight on what is being sold as street food nationwide. No one has questioned the quality and nutrition of junk food available on every street, lane, and corner.

There are restrictions on the purity of everything sold on the roads and intersections, but who enforces them? No one is concerned about the open play with people's lives. It is surprising that while the Health Ministry has targeted Indian snacks, no concrete steps have been taken for years to put clear warning labels on packaged or canned food or to protect children from advertisements, promotions and branding that attract unhealthy food. Like other countries, if additional tax is imposed on food products (HFSS) containing high oil, sugar and salt in India, then their consumption can be reduced.

In the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2017-22, it was decided to amend the FSSAI rules to make it mandatory to provide clear warnings and detailed nutritional information on the front of the packet.

In the year 2020, FSSAI made some changes in its packaging and labeling rules, but till now these rules have not been fully implemented. Recently, the Supreme Court has again directed FSSAI to make it mandatory to put this warning label on food in closed packets and boxes. Without implementing the necessary legal measures, just giving information and spreading awareness cannot prove to be effective in curbing the consumption of food products harmful to health. Otherwise, these efforts will remain just a sham.