India's Childhood Diabetes Epidemic: CBSE's Sugar Board Initiative Hints at School Health Revolution

In what is being hailed as a turning point in school health policy, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has sounded a national alert over the shocking escalation of Type 2 diabetes among children, a disease previously detected mostly among adults. As rates of childhood obesity and metabolic disorders rise throughout India, CBSE's reaction is at once urgent and prophetic: it has instructed schools to create "Sugar Boards" to inform children of the risks of excessive consumption of sugar.

As per the circular of CBSE, the increase in childhood Type 2 diabetes is closely related to unrestricted access to soft drinks, processed foods, and junk food—foods commonly available on or off school grounds. While sugar now accounts for 13%–15% of total child caloric intake, well above the recommended threshold of 5%, the board cautions that it poses a long-term risk to children's physical health, academic achievement, and general well-being.

These new Sugar Boards are not for show. They're being imagined as health education tools, bearing essential information including:

• Safe daily sugar allowances
• Sugar levels in popular foods and drinks
• The health effects of too much sugar
• Smart food swaps and healthier options

CBSE has also required schools to upload implementation reports and photos by July 15, and hold workshops and awareness seminars for children and parents.

The movement has received praise from high-profile figures such as Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath, a leading voice of India's wellness movement. Describing it as "a step in the right direction," Kamath stressed parental involvement and cultural sensitization concerning diet and health. "Now to work out how to make parents care about it," he posted on X, noting that this fight requires both institutional thrust and family-level change.

A lot of the motivation behind CBSE's shift comes from the bottom-up campaigns of health influencer Revant Himatsingka, commonly referred to as Foodpharmer, who initiated the Sugar Board Movement a mere 18 months ago. Himatsingka, who repeatedly alerted through viral videos and deconstructing food labels about sugar's underlying effect, referred to this as "India's largest step so far against childhood diabetes and obesity.

Speaking to Dr Amit Dias from Dept of Preventive and Social medicine, Goa Medical College, who was the Co Principal Investigator for the ICMR- INDIAB study on the epidemiology of Diabetes, we found that Goa has the highest proportion of diabetes in the country amounting to 26.4 % in adults. We need to take action right from childhood 

“In a nation grappling with both undernourishment in certain segments and lifestyle conditions in others, this directive might prove to be a game-changer. If done in earnest, CBSE's Sugar Board program can very well emerge as a national example for preventive health education among students.

This shift is now a reality driven by rising obesity, consumption of junk food, physical inactivity, and excessive screen time. I strongly believe that we must take proactive and creative steps to address this epidemic—starting with motivating children to embrace healthier lifestyles and activity, healthy food, and de-addicting them from mobile phones. Schools can play a pivotal role in this transformation by educating students about the risks of excessive sugar consumption and empowering them to make informed food and activity choices early in life - This will not only prevent diabetes but a whole range of non communicable diseases”