4.1cr kids obese, ICMR seeks tighter curbs
The ICMR has proposed stricter regulations on unhealthy food marketing and school canteen offerings to combat rising childhood obesity in India. With 4.1 crore children affected, the roadmap aims to curb the consumption of high-fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) products.
Why it matters
Addressing childhood obesity is critical for long-term public health and reducing the future burden of non-communicable diseases in India.
NEW DELHI: With World Obesity Atlas 2026 saying nearly 4.1 crore Indian children are already overweight or obese, Indian Council of Medical Research unveiled a roadmap this week to halt the trend.Key proposals include front-of-pack nutrition labelling, restrictions on market-ing of unhealthy foods to chi-ldren, healthier school food environments, improved nutrition literacy, and fiscal measures such as taxes on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).It also calls for stricter enforcement of existing FSSAI regulations that prohibit sale and advertising of foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar and sodium within school campuses and within 50m of their gates.
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