Raising awareness among low-income families about excessive consumption of added sugar: interactive booth by MAYbe Less Sugar

Over the course of two mornings at the Caritas grocery store in Lausanne: a staffed booth on added sugars to raise awareness among Caritas client families about sugar consumption, products containing sugar, and affordable alternatives. Educational materials will be available to help run the booth, and sweet treats will be offered to participants.

Caritas client families

Swiss men and women consume too much added sugar daily compared to nutritional recommendations, even though excessive consumption of added sugar increases the risk of developing chronic diseases. Launched in 2023, the MAYbe Less Sugar campaign invites people each year during the month of May to make the issue of excessive added sugar consumption a public health concern. MAYbe Less Sugar aims to: - raise public awareness about excessive sugar consumption and its health consequences; - enable participants to assess their consumption of added sugars using the online calculator, identify foods and beverages that contain added sugars, and try out alternatives to find other ways to treat themselves; - improve health literacy; - place sugar at the center of the discussion and create an environment that helps individuals moderate their sugar intake and protect their health. Excessive sugar consumption and its consequences—such as being overweight and chronic diseases—affect people with low socioeconomic status more severely. Furthermore, young people, particularly those from families with low socioeconomic status, are especially affected by excessive sugar consumption. It is therefore necessary to take action targeting these populations in order to reduce health inequalities. Offering concrete initiatives in places frequented by disadvantaged individuals—notably by setting up interactive booths for families—is an effective way to reach the target audience and convey health messages. The goal is therefore to organize two mornings of interactive booth activities during the month of May at the Caritas grocery store in Lausanne. An interactive booth makes the topic accessible to everyone. Educational materials are useful for striking up conversations with passersby. This material includes a wheel with questions about added sugars, displays of foods and beverages commonly consumed by families—asking them to guess the amount of added sugar in each product—and helping people understand that added sugars are sometimes “hidden.” The educational materials will also offer participants low-sugar, budget-friendly recipes to encourage them to consume less added sugar by making their own meals at home. At the end of the event, passersby will be able to take home a goodie bag (a low-added-sugar item from the Caritas grocery store, such as fresh fruit, dried fruit, herbal teas, etc.). Two representatives from diabètevaud will be on hand to staff the booth: a dietitian who can provide accurate answers to people’s questions about added sugars, and a representative from diabètevaud trained in the educational materials and in leading activities on the topic of added sugars. A similar booth was held once a year during the first three editions of MAYbe Less Sugar and was a real success. The accessibility and availability of the facilitators regarding the topic of added sugars are beneficial and appreciated by Caritas clients, particularly families interested in learning more. Furthermore, the educational materials tailored to their level of understanding are useful and effective, and the prizes offered motivate participants to get involved and engage in discussion. Financial support from the Lausanne Office for Families would make it possible to replicate and further improve this awareness-raising initiative on added sugars

Caritas Grocery Store in Lausanne (Av. de Morges 26, 1004 Lausanne)

Development of educational materials + Coordination with the Caritas grocery store to set dates and organize the booths: January–March 2026 Approval of educational materials: April 2026 2 mornings of interactive booth activities on added sugars: May 2026

4,000

diabètevaud Caritas Vaud The MAYbe Less Sugar initiative is carried out in partnership with more than 90 partners (nonprofits, municipalities, educational institutions, and social and health care organizations) to deliver messages tailored to different audiences.