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Mint
a day ago
- Health
- Mint
Two-thirds of Indian adolescents swayed by food ads; higher taxes on sugary, fatty foods may help curb rising obesity
New Delhi: An overwhelming 67.57% of adolescents in India are influenced by ads when making their food choices, a large nationwide survey has found, amid a focus on child obesity as a major lifestyle-related health concern. The survey of 143,000 adolescent respondents was conducted in 2022 as part of the Let's Fix Our Food initiative, a public-private partnership between the Public Health Foundation of India, the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Nutrition, and UNICEF. The findings are currently undergoing peer review for publication in a scientific journal. Unhealthy food advertising, often using celebrity endorsements and games, heavily influences young people's food choices, contributing to rising obesity and related diseases. The policy brief stated that in India, 90% of ads for children and youth on TV are for High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) foods. Studies show such ads increase consumption; for example, children watching cartoon food ads ate 45% more. It said that current Indian advertising rules, especially the 2022 guidelines, are weak, lacking clear definitions for "junk foods" or child-targeted ads. India must strengthen these rules with clear definitions and wider scope to protect everyone, not just children. Countries like Chile and South Korea prove strong, mandatory ad restrictions work. With projections from the World Obesity Atlas 2022 indicating that over 27 million Indian children and adolescents could be affected by obesity by 2030, the survey highlighted that unhealthy eating habits and insufficient physical activity are key drivers of overweight and obesity among young people. The survey found that nearly half (49.46%) of respondents receive most of their nutrition information from schools. However, economic barriers play a significant role, with 30.7% of adolescents citing high prices as an obstacle to healthy foods. While a large majority (72.58%) of adolescents said they do read nutrition information on food products, over half (62.81%) said this information should be simplified. Additionally, around 43.88% of adolescents believe that providing more information about unhealthy food items could deter them from consumption. The outcomes of the LFOF initiative, including a detailed policy brief, were recently discussed at a high-level stakeholder consultation in the presence of Dr V.K. Paul, member, NITI Aayog, and D Rajiv Bahl, director general, ICMR. To combat this growing crisis, the initiative urges the government to tighten regulations on advertisements for unhealthy food products targeting children. Other crucial recommendations include introducing health taxes on high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods and ensuring clear, simplified nutrition information on food packaging. 'Develop guidelines for clear front-of-pack nutrition information on packaged foods and regulate HFSS food consumption. Introduce health taxes on HFSS foods. Enforce the ban on HFSS foods in and around educational institutions, as per FSSAI guidelines. Implement programs to make healthy foods more affordable and accessible and Avoid partnerships with corporations promoting HFSS foods among adolescents," the policy brief said. Prof. Monika Arora, Vice President, Research and Health Promotion, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), stated, 'The recommendations such as the introduction of health taxes on HFSS foods and clearer front-of-pack nutrition labelling are presently under discussion. They have been shared with relevant stakeholders. These discussions are part of a growing national and global movement towards creating healthier food environments for children and adolescents." Addressing HFSS Food Marketing On the taxation front, the document said that health taxes are crucial in India to combat obesity and related diseases driven by unhealthy foods like sugary drinks. It said that the WHO endorses taxation as a cost-effective solution, already adopted by over 70 countries. A modelling study on fiscal policies in India found that a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) could reduce overweight and obesity by 3% and type 2 diabetes by 1.6% with the largest relative effect expected among young rural men. 'Extending similar strategies to unhealthy foods especially those aggressively marketed to children could play a critical role in safeguarding public health," Prof Arora said. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former WHO Chief Scientist and ICMR Director General, welcomed the crucial findings of the survey, reiterating that the rising trends of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India are directly linked to the significant impact of advertising on adolescents' food choices. This, coupled with poor diet and lack of physical activity, predisposes them to NCDs, making immediate action essential to reverse the trend. She emphasized the need for strict advertising regulations to prevent unsubstantiated claims, especially for products targeting children with appealing characters or gifts, which are often high in fat and sugar. She also called for effective front-of-pack labeling, suggesting a clear A, B (healthy) and C, D (unhealthy) system based on fat, sugar, and salt content, rather than the proposed star labeling by FSSAI. Furthermore, she advocated for health taxes on tobacco, sweets, and high-fat/sugar foods, similar to those in countries like Thailand. While acknowledging that such taxes in India currently contribute to the general treasury, she stressed that ideally, these funds should directly benefit public health schemes and educational campaigns to deter unhealthy consumption. Echoing these concerns, Dr. Suranjeet Chatterjee, Senior Consultant at the Internal Medicine Department, Apollo Hospitals Indraprastha in Delhi, emphasized the critical need for strict regulation of advertisements in India. He highlighted that endorsements by film stars and other prominent figures significantly impact not only children but also adults. Dr Chatterjee stressed that food labeling must clearly indicate the amounts of fat, sugar, salt, and calories. He noted a concerning shift in food consumption patterns, leading to a rise in heart disease, blood pressure, and diabetes at much younger ages. "Earlier, very rarely would patients in the age group of 30-35 years come with problems of heart disease, but now, the percentage has increased in the age group of 25-35 years," he stated, underlining the urgency of addressing these lifestyle-related health issues. 'The findings of the report indicate that 68% of adolescents are influenced by food advertisements, and nearly 31% reported that high food prices prevent them from eating healthy. These insights highlight the urgent need to improve affordability and accessibility of nutritious foods for young people. Addressing childhood obesity must remain a national priority, with stronger policies on food environment, nutrition education, physical activity, and front of pack nutrition labeling and its skill-based literacy, supported by community engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration, said Preetu Mishra, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF. The findings reinforce the need for system-level policy interventions to reshape the food environment. Among the key recommendations is the introduction of health taxes on HFSS foods (Food high in fat, salt and sugar), which is supported by global and regional evidence showing their impact on reducing consumption of unhealthy foods and incentivizing better industry practices. WHO recommends taxation as one of the most cost-effective tools. An increasing number of countries have taken steps to implement fiscal policies that promote healthy diets, with 115 countries taxing sugar-sweetened beverages nationally as of February 2024. An additional 41 countries have applied national taxation on a variety of unhealthy food categories, Mishra added.
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
India rolls out health warnings for popular Indian street foods like samosas and jalebis
The Indian government is poised to roll out health warnings for beloved Indian snacks such as samosas and jalebis to highlight their hidden oil, sugar, and trans-fat content. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has identified 14 snack items, including popular Indian street snacks like samosas, pakodas (fritters), vada pav (a spiced potato patty sandwiched in a bread roll), and some varieties of biscuits, which will be accompanied by clear cautionary notices in cafeterias and public venues, according to a Times of India report. While some media reports stated that the food items itself would carry warning labels, the Union health ministry clarified in a statement that their advisory focused on 'display of boards' and was aimed as a 'behavioural nudge to make people aware about hidden fats and excess sugar in all food products and not specifically to any particular food product'. The initiative, which has already begun rolling out in cafeterias of state-run facilities like AIIMS Nagpur, comes amid growing concern over India's escalating lifestyle disease burden. Health experts, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Nutrition have reportedly backed the initiative, stating that it supports a larger effort to combat India's growing epidemic of non‑communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. 'It's the beginning of food labelling becoming as serious as cigarette warnings. Sugar and trans fats are the new tobacco. People deserve to know what they're eating,' cardiologist Dr Amar Amale, head of the Nagpur chapter of the Cardiological Society of India, told the Times of India. Dr Rajiv Kovil, head of diabetology at Zandra Healthcare, told IndiaTimes: 'These high-calorie snacks contribute to obesity, which is a gateway to numerous chronic conditions '. He added that they also lead to excessive calorie intake with minimal nutritional value, as well as worsen digestive problems, raise the risk of fatty liver and insulin resistance, and contribute to cognitive decline, mood disorders, inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and an overall weakened immune system. According to the International Diabetes Federation, over 77 million Indians live with type 2 diabetes, or roughly 9 per cent of adults, with diabetes-related complications accounting for nearly 2 per cent of all deaths annually. A Chennai-based study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals consuming high levels of refined grains, like those used in samosas and jalebis, were nearly eight times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which includes risk factors such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and abdominal obesity. At the same time, the World Health Organization has flagged trans fats, a common component of Indian street foods, as responsible for over 77,000 cardiovascular deaths each year in India. However, the move has met with significant criticism from nutritionists who have argued that this campaign unfairly targets traditional Indian foods. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, who has long championed indigenous food instead of Western alternatives, posted a message on her social media questioning why processed snacks continue to be eaten without warning. 'Tobacco is an independent risk factor. It harms irrespective of environment and lifestyle. There is ample proof of that. Samosa and jalebi ne aap ka kya bigada hai? ( What have samosas and jalebis done to deserve this?) If we are serious about health warnings – colas, chips, cookies etc. must get them first. Regulate and tax big food,' she wrote. 'Ultra-processed food products are the real problem. And there is ample proof of that, too,' Diwekar added in her caption. Milind Deora, MP, in a post on social media platform X noted that the Parliamentary Subordinate Legislation Committee is currently reviewing food regulator FSSAI's plans to tackle India's growing obesity crisis. 'We have unanimously advocated uniform regulations across all food categories, including alcohol, so Indian food isn't unfairly targeted while MNCs continue to market Western junk unchecked'. Former parliamentarian Milind Deora also criticised the government's focus in a post on X, formerly Twitter, urging a level playing field so that 'Indian food isn't unfairly targeted while MNCs continue to market Western junk unchecked'. Reactions from Indians have been mixed; while some see the warnings as overdue, others have questioned whether the signs will truly change eating habits or serve to stigmatise comfort foods. 'Let's also have them on packaged foods, processed foods, pizzas, burgers, cold storage meats, chips, soft drinks, etc?' wrote writer Kiran Manral. 'You don't eat jalebis and samosas for health. You indulge for delight unlike alcohol or cigarettes or pan masala. While former are indulgences (not necessarily healthy), they don't fit into the same category as products that require health warnings,' wrote a person on X.
Hans India
15-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
State govt ready to roll out ‘TG Nutrition Plan' soon
Hyderabad: With an aim to have a nutritious Telangana, the government would soon be announcing a 'Telangana Nutrition Plan' to ensure healthy and nutritious food to the Anganwadi centers. Women and Child Welfare Minister Dhanasri Anusuya (Seethakka) said the government was working in a mission mode with the aim of building a nutritious Telangana. She called on everyone to participate in building a strong and healthy Telangana. She said that a nutritious Telangana would be possible only through collective efforts. She said that Telangana Anganwadi centers would be developed as a model for the country as per the ideas of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. She said that Anganwadi services will be further improved in line with the Telangana Rising-2047 document. A state-level meeting on strengthening Anganwadi services, improving nutrition among children, and participation of women self-help groups was organised by the Telangana State Women and Child Welfare Department. In this meeting, representatives of government sector organizations working on nutrition such as the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Indian Institute of Millet Research, CFTRI (Mysore), AIIMS, ICRISAT, UNICEF, voluntary organizations such as Pratham, Andhra Mahila Sabha, HARMAN, Bala Raksha Bharati, and senior officials of various welfare departments, civil supplies, education department, TG Foods, SERP, and I&PR departments, who were acting as line departments in providing nutrition, participated and shared their valuable opinions. After listening to their opinions, experiences, and ideas, Seethakka clarified that Telangana was the only state that provides 200 ml of Vijaya milk per day to Anganwadi beneficiaries, nutritious peanuts and cereal bars to teenage girls, and egg biryani twice a week. Seethakka said that based on the opinions and experiences of experts, an action plan for a nutritious Telangana would be formulated and implemented. She said that while the supply of nutritious eggs in Anganwadis in BJP-ruled states was stopped special programs were implemented in Telangana to provide nutrition to children, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls. She said that the issue of providing nutrition to all age groups was under consideration based on the advice of experts. She revealed that mobile Anganwadis would be introduced in areas where there was no construction facility. She said that organizations like NAAC and GEN NTU were preparing models.
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Explained: What Are Sugar And Fat Boards? Why Is The Government Pushing Them In Indian Institutions
For many office-goers, tea breaks mean a plate of samosa, maybe a biscuit or two, and a soft drink on a stressful day. But now, a new government push could change the way you snack at work. The Ministry of Health has urged all central government offices to put up sugar and fat boards to help people make better food choices. These boards highlight the sugar and fat content in everyday snacks like jalebi, milkshakes, noodles and more. The aim is simple: create awareness in workplaces and encourage healthier eating habits. Why Are Sugar and Fat Boards Being Introduced in Government Offices? The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), through the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), has released posters that show the high levels of sugar and fat in common food items. These posters are designed for use in government canteens and public areas. The idea is to visually inform people about what they are eating. Offices like AIIMS Nagpur have already started putting these up, and more government offices are expected to follow. According to Amar Amale, President of the Cardiological Society of India's Nagpur chapter, "Sugar and trans fats are the new tobacco. People deserve to know what they are eating," quoted the Times of India. What Do These Boards Show and Why Does It Matter? The sugar and fat boards are simple, visual and informative. They list popular Indian foods like samosa, biscuits, pav bhaji, cold drinks, gulab jamun and more. Alongside each item, they show how much sugar and fat it contains. For example, one gulab jamun could carry more sugar than your daily recommended limit. Thanks to Hon'ble @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji's push for healthier workplaces, @MoHFW_INDIA has urged all govt offices to prominently display Sugar Boards. Sharing model Sugar Boards to display in offices. Tag us in your stories/posts Download: @ICMRDELHI — ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition (@ICMRNIN) July 8, 2025 Reducing fat intake can help reduce risk of obesity & NCDs. Here's how you can cut fat without even realising it! A step toward @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji's call for reducing edible oil by 10%. 📥 Download #FatBoard - @ICMRDELHI @MoHFW_INDIA @NITIAayog — ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition (@ICMRNIN) July 12, 2025 Experts say that seeing this information every day can help change habits. These boards act like small reminders to think before picking up that sugary or fried snack. What Experts Are Saying About Sugar, Fat and Indian Eating Habits In 2023, a video by Revant Himatsingka, also known as Foodpharmer, went viral. The video showed the amount of sugar in soft drinks and packaged juices. It reached over 25 million views. Revant had said, "Habits form at an early age, and if we have a lot of sugar as a kid, chances are we will crave sugar as an adult too." He had requested the government to display sugar boards in every public school. Dr Gourdas Choudhuri, Chairman-Gastroenterology, Fortis Gurgaon, said, "With regard to what is happening in our urban cities in India and percolating to villages as well, there is a huge explosion of what we call metabolic disorders related to lifestyle and eating. So the most common ones are weight gain (overweight or obesity), propensity for diabetes, hypertension, increased amount of blood lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides, and early onset of heart disease." Dr Choudhuri continued, "What has really gone wrong is the way we eat and the way we live. We are actually consuming far more calories, and that too, refined sugar and a lot of oils in fried foods. This piles up initially in the liver and then goes on to clot the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. So, from that point of view, any attempt at creating awareness is a good idea." Consultant nutritionist Rupali Datta added, "The definition of junk food found in the Oxford dictionary is 'food that is not very good for you but that is ready to eat or quick to prepare'. Nutritionists define junk food as that which adds only calories from sugar and fat, with no other nutrients. Problems with this junk are that it is low in satiety, so one tends to binge eat, and hence it has started replacing healthy food made with nutritious fresh ingredients." What Can You Do With This Information? Start by reading nutrition labels before buying packaged items. The World Health Organisation recommends no more than 25 grams (about 5 teaspoons) of added sugar per day. Many soft drinks and sweets easily cross this mark. Similarly, our total fat intake should not be more than 30g per day (6 tsp). Swap sugary and oily snacks with healthier options like fruits, nuts, yoghurt or simply clean, homecooked food. Be aware of hidden sugars and oils in foods labelled as "healthy". You do not need to quit everything, but awareness can help you make better choices. Will People Stop Eating Laddoo or Pakora? Probably not. In India, food is emotional. We eat with tradition, memory and joy. A warning label is unlikely to stop someone from eating a festive mithai or a rainy-day samosa. But it may help people choose better when it comes to daily snacking, especially for kids, office goers and those depending on packaged food. This is not about guilt. It is about knowing what is in your food - and making small, informed changes over time.
Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Health Ministry says canteen samosas will now get a food label, asks schools, offices to display boards on fat-sugar content
With the increasing incidence of obesity in the country — and associated increase in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and some cancers — the health ministry has asked schools, offices, and public institutions to display boards with information on sugar and fat content of foods available in the canteen. 'We are proposing display of Sugar and Oil Boards as an initiative to promote healthier dietary habits in various settings. These boards serve as visual behavioural nudges…' says a letter from the union health secretary Puniya Salila Shrivastava to all ministries and government departments. What will the sugar and oil boards display? The letter provides with it sample templates of boards that are to be displayed at schools and workplaces. Designed by the apex food regulator, which has for years been trying to promote healthy eating, the oil board for example says that one should consume only around 27 to 30 gms of fat a day, along with pictures of snacks such as samosa, kachoris, and vadapav along with how much fat each of the foods contain. Similarly, the sugar boards also say that adults should not consume more than 25gms of sugar per day and children not more than 20 gms a day. It also shows the sugar content in products such as soft drinks, chocolates, gulab jamun, and flavoured juice. Some of the boards also have easy to understand graphics of the number of spoons of sugar that one can consume — 5 teaspoons, along with how many spoonfuls are there in different food products. It also has the option of providing details of the sugar content in foods available in the canteen on the day. The boards also contain nuggets of information such as 'jaggery, honey, date syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar, caramel, molasses are equally bad.' or 'sugar can be disguised as sucralose, mannitol, erythitol, xylitol, sorbitol'. What do the national nutrition guidelines say about sugar consumption? The guidelines developed by the ICMR's National Institute of Nutrition state that everyone should restrict their sugar consumption to less than 5% of their total energy requirements — which comes up to about 25gms or five teaspoons of sugars as mentioned above. Any loose sugar, honey, or other sweeteners is added sugar that adds on to what is already present in vegetables and fruits. 'If possible, added sugar may be completely eliminated from one's diet as it adds no nutritive value other than calories. Calories are healthy only when accompanied by vitamins, minerals, and fibres,' the guideline says. Natural sugars present in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products are not harmful, but these items should also be consumed in moderation as per one's energy requirements. Why is obesity a challenge in India? The letter from the union health secretary, quoting the Global Burden of Disease study, says that the number of obese and overweight adults in India is projected to increase from around 18 crores in 2021 to 44.9 crores by 2050. This will make India the country with the second-highest global burden. Additionally, many Indians tend to store fats in their abdominal region, making them prone to the ill-effects of obesity even at lower BMIs. This is because the abdominal fat is stored not under the skin but inside around organs, affecting their functioning. This type of fat is linked to higher risk of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
