Doctors Issue Urgent Recommendations on Childhood Obesity

India has taken a significant step to address the alarming rise in childhood obesity and lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. A policy document developed under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), in collaboration with the Let’s Fix Our Food (LFOF) Consortium, outlines priority actions to promote healthy eating habits among children and adolescents. The report highlights that by 2025, nearly 41 million children aged 5–19 in India are overweight or obese, and warns that if current trends continue, India’s share in the global childhood obesity burden could exceed 11 percent by 2030.

The policy recommends stricter legal regulations on junk food advertising targeting children, mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labeling, and healthier food environments in schools by restricting HFSS foods and promoting nutritious alternatives. It also suggests imposing health taxes on high-fat, sugar, and salt products and integrating these measures with national programs like Ayushman Bharat School Health initiatives. Additionally, new tools such as NEAT-S for assessing school food environments and digital literacy modules to educate children on reading food labels have been introduced, with support from organizations like UNICEF, WHO, FSSAI, and PHFI.