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Too Sweet to Fail? Why India’s Sugar Boards Fall Short for Our Children’s Health

Martian Smiles Lab Editorial Team

New Delhi, UPDATED July 1, 2025 15:06 pm

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A few weeks ago, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) rolled out a new health advisory across 24,000+ schools in India requiring the installation of India’s unique School Sugar Boards—educational signs designed to inform students about the harmful effects of too much sugar.

Nice idea. But here’s the bitter truth: posters don’t change behavior. Not when soft drinks are cheaper than bottled water in some towns. Not when sugary treats are given as rewards, sold just outside school gates, and celebrated in birthday boxes.

India is facing a silent sugar crisis, and a wall-mounted warning isn’t enough to stop it.

Sugar Is Hitting Our Children Where It Hurts

When children eat or drink sugary foods—like colas, candies, or sweetened cereals—their blood sugar spikes. Over time, the body is forced to work harder to process it, especially the hormone insulin. This constant overload can lead to type 2 diabetes, a condition now being seen in teens as young as 14.

Excess sugar also turns into fat when the body can’t use it right away. That leads to childhood obesity, especially in cities where physical activity is low and processed snacks are common. Some of that fat ends up in the liver, causing a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which silently builds over years and can harm long-term health.

Even the brain is affected. Studies now link high-sugar diets with weaker memory, poor focus, and mood swings in adolescents. Some researchers believe sugar may interfere with the brain’s development during critical growth periods.

In simple terms: too much sugar isn’t just an energy issue—it’s a full-body problem.

And It Starts in the Mouth

The first place sugar strikes is the mouth—and the damage often begins before parents even notice.

When a child eats something sugary, the bacteria in their mouth break it down and release acid. That acid attacks the tooth enamel, eventually creating tiny holes—cavities. If left untreated, these cavities can lead to toothaches, infections, and even missed school days.

Tooth decay is India’s most common chronic disease in children, affecting over 60% of kids by age 15. It’s more than just a dental problem. Painful teeth can affect how children eat, speak, sleep—and even grow.

Yes, grow. Children with chronic dental infections or untreated cavities may avoid nutritious food that’s hard to chew, which can interfere with body development, concentration in class, and overall well-being.

Global Clues: What the Rest of the World Has Learned

Other countries didn’t wait for their children’s health to hit rock bottom.

In Mexico, a modest sugar tax (about ₹4/litre) introduced in 2014 led to a steady drop in soda sales. A decade later, obesity rates have stabilized—and soda companies reformulated their products.

In the UK, sugar content in popular soft drinks dropped by 40% after the government introduced a “sugar levy” in 2018. It didn’t just change habits; it changed industry behavior.

South Africa, Hungary, Seychelles and the Philippines have all taken similar steps—with one message: make sugar less attractive, and people consume less.

India’s Sugar Problem Is Bigger Than the Boards

Let’s talk numbers.

Indians now consume an average of 24 kilograms of sugar per person per year. That’s more than twice the WHO’s recommended limit. In cities, children are often drinking more sugar than they’re eating vegetables.

Meanwhile, India is home to the largest diabetic population in the world. Our school canteens are still selling soft drinks and processed snacks. And when a child needs a dental filling, chances are it’s sugar that’s to blame.

Sure, India’s sugar boards will raise awareness. But they’re not going to change what’s on the plate or in the lunchbox. Not when advertising is loud, packaging is colorful, and the alternatives are more expensive.

So, What Could Actually Work?

One word: tax.

A sugar tax isn’t about punishing people. It’s about nudging behavior. If a ₹3 or ₹5 surcharge on a sugary drink makes a parent think twice or nudges a company to cut sugar content, that’s a win.

Even better, the revenue can fund school dental checkups, healthy meal programs, or health campaigns led by local doctors and dentists. It can go right back into protecting the same children it hopes to serve.

If we combine this with better regulations (no sugary snacks with artificial food dyes in school canteens, please), parental awareness, and tools like AI to track health patterns in schools—then we’ve got a plan worth investing in.

Sugar Boards Are a Start—But They’re Not the Solution

We applaud efforts like Food Pharmer’s #SugarBoardMovement that aim to raise initial awareness among children and adults alike. We’re not saying take the India’s sugar boards down. Let them stay. Let them spark conversation.

But let’s not pretend they’re a substitute for action. Because while a sugar board might make a student pause, a cheap cola will still win the argument—unless we change the rules of the game.

India has the talent, the science, and the data. What it needs now is political will and public pressure to take that next bold step.

Because when it comes to sugar and our children’s health, awareness is just the appetizer. “Policy is the main course”.

INSPIRED BY EARTH, AIMED AT SPACE

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