The first-ever Healthy Tea Drinking Festival in Shanghai's Putuo district features an indoor seminar and an outdoor interactive session. [Photo/eastday.com]

In a bid to champion healthy living and address concerns surrounding sugar consumption, Shanghai recently played host to its first-ever Healthy Tea Drinking Festival in Putuo district.

Focused on ready-to-drink tea beverages, the event aimed to raise awareness about reducing sugar intake and make strides in promoting healthier lifestyle choices. Organized by multiple health promotion institutions and supported by the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Shanghai CDC), the festival aimed to serve as a platform to tackle issues like ingredient transparency and excessive sugar content. Shanghai took a proactive stance by piloting warning labels for sugary drinks, signaling a pivotal step towards guiding the public in making informed and health-conscious decisions.

The festival featured two key components: an indoor seminar and an outdoor interactive session. The seminar delved into the perils of the overconsumption of sugar and shed light on the newly introduced beverage grading system. Wang Zhengyuan, a health educator and deputy chief physician at the Shanghai CDC, led a session on the detrimental effects of excessive sugar consumption and imparted insights on leveraging nutritional labels to make prudent choices.

Outdoor activities at the festival encompassed a health knowledge quiz and interactive games that were carefully crafted to educate attendees about the Nutri-Grade grading system in a lively and interactive manner. Emphasizing the significance of reducing sugar intake, these activities encouraged participants to opt for low-sugar or sugar-free alternatives.

A representative from the Shanghai Health Promotion Committee Office underscored that the festival not only advocates for healthy habits but also pays homage to China's rich tea culture. By championing the consumption of low-sugar and sugar-free tea options, the event aligns with a spectrum of health initiatives launched by the city's health administration, spanning balanced diets, chronic disease prevention, mental health promotion, and health advocacy.

Source: eastday.com