A group of leading health professionals, medical scientists, and public health experts has written to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, demanding immediate implementation of a watershed ban on junk food advertising and the introduction of mandatory front-of-pack warning labels, warning that India can no longer afford delays in addressing its escalating diet-related non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis.
The letter, sent by the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think tank on nutrition, comes against the backdrop of alarming data from the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) confirming that obesity is rising at alarming rates, with nearly one in three women and more than one in four men aged 15-49 now overweight or obese. Of particular concern, the experts note, is the rising prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents, a development with severe long-term health implications.
The letter draws urgent attention to the 2025-26 Economic Survey of India, which has rightly highlighted this alarming trend running parallel to rising consumption of unhealthy diets in the form of high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) or ultra-processed food products, and recommended stronger regulations, including a watershed ban on their advertising. "We welcome these policy recommendations," the experts state in their communication.
The signatories, who include Convenor Dr Arun Gupta, Child Health & Nutrition Advocate; Prof. HPS Sachdev, Senior Pediatrician & Epidemiologist; Dr Vandana Prasad, Community Pediatrician; Ms Deepika Srivastava, Former Sr Adviser EAC to PM; Dr Rekha Harish, Former Professor & HOD of Pediatrics, HIMSR New Delhi & Professor & HOD of Pediatrics, GMC Jammu; Prof. KP Kushwaha, Pediatrician & Former Principal, BRD Medical College Gorakhpur; Dr Prasanta Tripathy, Co-Founder Ekjut; Dr J.P. Dadhich, Child Health & Nutrition Advocate; Dr Nupur Bidla, Social Work Professional; and Ms Reema Dutta, Public Health and Nutrition professional, express grave concern that the critical policy measures proposed in the National Multisectoral Action Plan (NMAP) for Prevention and Control of Common NCDs (2017-2022) remain inadequately implemented. "These measures, which included regulating the marketing of unhealthy food, must be urgently revived and enforced," they assert.
The experts have put forward three key demands for immediate action, beginning with the implementation of watershed advertising restrictions and warning labels. They urge the Government to immediately implement the Economic Survey's recommendation to restrict advertising of HFSS and UPF products between 6 am and 11 pm across television, print, digital, and social media platforms, supported by mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on food products that clearly indicate high levels of sugar, salt, or fats. The World Health Organization and UNICEF, they point out, have strongly recommended such policies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing.
The second demand calls for the enactment of comprehensive marketing regulations as provided in the health ministry's National Multi-sectoral Action Plan, including the clear definition of HFSS and ultra-processed foods, prohibition of celebrity endorsements, cartoon characters, and child-directed promotions, a ban on influencer marketing, promotional incentives, and price-based inducements like "buy one get one free," and an end to sponsorships of sports and school activities by these unhealthy food brands.
The third demand urges the Government to take decisive steps to ban the sale of sugary beverages and HFSS products pan India in all school canteens and vending machines, ensuring that only healthy, nutritious options are available to children. "We believe these measures are not just recommendations but public health imperatives," the letter states. The 2026 report by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition's 'Let's Fix Our Food' Consortium, the experts note, also outlines a clear policy roadmap for healthier diets and food environments, which aligns with their demands.
The Economic Survey 2025-26, presented by Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, highlighted that India is one of the fastest-growing markets for UPF sales, growing by more than 150 percent from 2009 to 2023, with retail sales surging from $0.9 billion in 2006 to nearly $38 billion in 2019—a 40-fold rise. The survey cited a global Lancet Series on UPFs and Human Health, which consolidated evidence demonstrating that high UPF consumption is associated with multiple chronic diseases including obesity, heart disease, respiratory issues, diabetes and mental health disorders.
The survey noted that aggressive marketing strategies employed by UPF manufacturers often include "explicit encouragements for overconsumption, with phrasing such as 'I bet you can't eat just one'," as well as emotional selling, "buy one get one free" tactics, celebrity endorsements, and projecting UPFs as healthy food options. Research cited in the survey found that adolescents exposed to unhealthy food and beverage advertising showed high desire and intention to consume the advertised foods.
Data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows that 56.4 per cent of India's total disease burden is now linked to unhealthy diets. The NFHS-6 data reflects significant improvements in maternal and child health parameters, with 90.6 per cent hospital births and over 96 per cent vaccinations, yet the obesity crisis continues to escalate across all age groups. India now ranks second globally for childhood obesity, with an estimated 41 million children affected. The Economic Survey warned that without urgent action, India's demographic dividend could be undermined by a sick and unproductive workforce.
The letter to the Health Minister comes as part of a sustained campaign by NAPi, which has previously written to the health ministry and the Press Council of India seeking amendments to advertising norms to explicitly prohibit HFSS and UPF product advertisements. Dr Arun Gupta, Convenor of NAPi, has pointed to the scale of junk food promotion in India, with more than 200,000 advertisements for such products being aired every month and advertising expenditure estimated at around ₹170 crore.
These advertisements frequently target children and adolescents and often rely on misleading health and nutrition claims. Earlier analyses by NAPi found that junk food marketing commonly uses celebrities, emotional appeals, and claims that obscure the unhealthy nutritional profile of the products.
Dr Gupta has also pointed to growing scientific evidence that ultra-processed foods are deliberately engineered to be highly palatable and potentially addictive, with recent research, including findings highlighted in the 2025 Lancet series on UPFs, strengthening concerns about the health impacts of these products and the commercial strategies used to expand their consumption.
The experts have drawn attention to the constitutional duty of the state to intervene when foreseeable harm threatens vulnerable populations, particularly children. They have cited international examples such as Chile, Mexico, Norway, and the United Kingdom, which have implemented strict front-of-pack warning labels and banned junk food ads targeting children. Chile's integrated laws and the UK's ban on junk food advertising before 9 pm on television and online to reduce children's exposure and curb childhood obesity have been cited as successful precedents.
In a letter dated February 2025, the Press Council of India noted that while newspapers may not be at fault for carrying legally compliant ads, the health implications warrant policy intervention. The Supreme Court of India also weighed in on the issue in February 2026 through a PIL on front-of-pack warning labels, bringing the policy gap into sharp focus.
"Protecting children from the harmful impact of junk food marketing is a fundamental public health, child-rights, and preventive healthcare priority," the letter states. "We are confident that decisive action on these recommendations will set a powerful precedent for the health and well-being of our nation."
The letter, signed by Dr Arun Gupta on behalf of all signatories, was copied to the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, for necessary action. The health experts have expressed their willingness to provide any further details or support needed to advance this critical agenda, and have attached a science-based Statement calling for urgent action, titled "Urgent Call to Implement Watershed Ban on Junk Food Advertising and Warning Labels in India."
Comments
Post a Comment
NOTE: Hateful, abusive comments won't be published. -- Editor