New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN)-led ‘Let’s Fix Our Food’ (LFOF) Consortium has released a policy document recommending a series of measures to promote healthier diets and food environments for children and adolescents in India. The report calls for stricter regulation of junk food marketing, front-of-pack nutrition labels, healthier school food environments and taxation of unhealthy foods to address the growing burden of childhood obesity and diet-related diseases.
The policy document, titled ‘Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India’, was launched by Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
Rising childhood obesity a major concern
The report highlights the rapid increase in childhood overweight and obesity in India, warning that the country is facing a significant public health challenge.
According to the document, nearly 4.1 crore (41 million) children aged 5 to 19 years are estimated to be living with overweight or obesity in 2025.
If current trends continue, India is projected to account for more than 11 per cent of the global childhood obesity burden by 2030.
The report notes that unhealthy diets are contributing to the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, among younger populations.
Five key policy recommendations
The policy document is based on three years of research, field studies, state-level nutrition assessments and stakeholder consultations. It proposes several priority actions to improve food environments for children and adolescents.
Stricter regulation of junk food advertising
The report recommends replacing voluntary self-regulation with mandatory legal restrictions on the marketing of Foods High in Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) targeted at children and adolescents.
It also calls for a ban on misleading advertisements and health claims across television, digital platforms and other public media.
Front-of-pack nutrition labels
The policy advocates the introduction of standardised front-of-pack nutrition labelling on packaged food products.
Such labels would provide clear visual information to help consumers quickly identify products containing high levels of fat, sugar or sodium, enabling parents and young consumers to make healthier food choices.
Healthier school food environments
The report recommends regulating school canteens and food vendors operating near educational institutions to limit the availability of junk food.
Schools should instead promote healthier alternatives, including fruits and nutritious whole foods.
It also proposes the use of the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) to assess and improve school food environments.
Tax on unhealthy foods
The policy recommends imposing health taxes on HFSS foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to discourage excessive consumption.
The report also suggests using fiscal measures to make healthier food options more affordable and accessible to the public.
Integration with national programmes
The recommendations are designed to complement existing government initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme.
The report calls for strengthening nutrition education, encouraging physical activity and enhancing community participation to promote healthier lifestyles among children and adolescents.
New educational tools introduced
Alongside the policy document, the LFOF Consortium also launched practical tools aimed at improving nutrition awareness.
These include the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S), which enables schools to evaluate and improve the nutritional quality of their canteens and food environments.
The consortium has also introduced digital nutrition literacy modules, including an interactive e-learning platform that helps students understand packaged food labels.
In addition, comic books developed by ICMR-NIN have been released to educate adolescents about recognising foods high in sodium, unhealthy fats and added sugars.
Call for collaborative action
Launching the policy document, Dr. M. Srinivas emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to address India’s growing nutrition challenges.
He said evidence-based and multi-sectoral policy interventions are essential for creating healthier food environments for children and adolescents.
According to him, collaborative initiatives such as the Let’s Fix Our Food Consortium can play a crucial role in reducing the burden of childhood overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases across the country.
The policy document is expected to serve as a roadmap for policymakers, educational institutions and public health agencies in strengthening nutrition-related interventions and promoting healthier dietary habits among India’s younger population.
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