About 21% of Gujarat Children Show Signs of Prediabetes; ‘Sugar Boards’ Mandatory in Schools

About one in five children in Gujarat had high fasting plasma glucose levels indicative of prediabetes, according to data cited in the Central Government’s Children in India 2025 report—20.8% among those aged 5–9 and 20.9% among those aged 10–19.

High fasting plasma glucose levels in this category indicate prediabetes; they do not mean that the children have developed diabetes.

Very high fasting plasma glucose, indicative of diabetes, was found in 1.3% of the younger group and 2.9% of those aged 10–19. The latter figure is far above the national average of 0.6%.

‘Sugar Boards’ Made Mandatory in Schools

The NCPCR has recommended that schools establish “Sugar Boards” as “visual information displays” to educate students about excessive sugar intake. The boards are to include information on recommended daily sugar intake, sugar content in commonly consumed foods, associated health risks and healthier dietary alternatives.

Following the NCPCR directive, the Gujarat education authorities have directed schools to install the boards. A fresh circular issued in September followed an earlier directive from July after several schools reportedly failed to implement the measure.

Schools have also been directed to conduct awareness programmes, seminars and workshops on healthy eating and sugar consumption, as a means to aid students in choosing more nutritious options.

Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Also Raise Concern

The health risks identified among children in Gujarat extend beyond blood glucose.

According to the same data, 6.4% of adolescents aged 10–19 in Gujarat had high blood pressure, compared with a national average of 4.9%.

Among adolescents in the same age group, 4.4% had high total cholesterol and 6% had high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The Gujarat figures are part of the state-level data on non-communicable disease risk factors cited in the report.

The presence of metabolic risk factors during childhood and adolescence is a concern because such factors can contribute to health problems later in life.

Sugar Intake and the Boards Themselves

The NCPCR advisory cites data showing that children aged 4–10 get about 13% of their daily calories from added sugar, while adolescents aged 11–18 get about 15%—well above the recommended 5%.

The mandatory Sugar Boards are meant to display the recommended daily sugar intake, the sugar content of commonly consumed foods and beverages, associated health risks and healthier alternatives. Schools are also required to conduct awareness programmes, seminars and workshops on healthy eating.

Context

Prior studies of schoolchildren in Ahmedabad have linked overweight and obesity, inadequate physical activity, excessive screen time and poor diet to these metabolic risks, underscoring the importance of awareness measures such as the Sugar Boards.