Warning labels and limits on sugar, salt and fats in junk food can arrest the alarming rise in childhood obesity in India

0
141

Public health experts and doctors, in a multistakeholder session on childhood obesity in India, highlighted the need for urgent policy action to establish strong limits for salt, sugar, saturated fats and other harmful ingredients in packaged and ultra-processed food and beverages. With more than 14.4 million obese children, India has the second highest number of children with childhood obesity in the world. By 2025 this number will reach a staggering 17 million. As is the trajectory in other developing nations, the proportion of packaged and ultra-processed foods is on the rise. The experts representing leading institutions such as AIIMS, Rishikesh; Indian Academy of Paediatrics and Indian Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences said that the only way to control this growing epidemic of obesity is by establishing scientific cut-off limits for harmful ingredients and front of pack labels (FOPL) on packaged products which can educate the public and help consumers make informed, correct choices.

From a nation that was struggling with infant malnutrition till very recently, childhood has emerged as a major area of concern in India. The steady rise in childhood obesity in India is a result of changing dietary preferences and a shift towards increased consumption of ultra-processed food. The ultra-processed food industry is growing at a record pace in India which is also second among the top five global markets for sugary beverages. Some studies have shown that despite the need to promote and adopt healthy diets, particularly in the wake of this pandemic, multinational food companies have continued to promote unhealthy, ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks with no governmental limits on any of the harmful ingredients. There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially increase the risk of children becoming obese. School closures and lockdowns have already deprived millions of children of nutritional school meals, sports and adequate physical exercise. Being overweight or obese is directly associated with life-threatening noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Obesity is a result of imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended, according to Dr. Rekha Harish, Chairperson, Indian Academy of Paediatrics, NCD Prevention. “Usually, an increased consumption of unhealthy or processed food coupled with physical inactivity leads to this preventable condition. It is fast emerging as the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Studies have shown that 75-80% of severely obese children will remain obese as adults and be at heightened risk of various NCDs. At least 15% children in India are obese or overweight and these numbers will steadily rise if left unchecked. We need strong policy regulating harmful ingredients in ultra-processed and packaged foods including food labels that can help parents make an informed choice.”

Drawing attention to clinical evidence that clearly correlates consumption of ultra-processed food to a number of serious health conditions, Dr Manoj Kumar Gupta, Dean, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, said, “Children are particularly at risk. As doctors, we want to assert that the onus should not be on children or their families alone to prevent or fight this condition. It is the collective duty of policymakers, the food industry and us as doctors to safeguard children and enable a nutritious food system for them.”

WHO has identified FOPL as “one of the policy tools that can support healthy diets, both in stimulating consumers to make informed healthier food choices and in driving manufacturers to reformulate products to avoid making unfavourable nutrient content disclosure.” The objective of an FOPL policy is to inform consumers in a simple and fast way about the content of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, to discourage the purchase of unhealthy packaged food. Thus far, 11 countries across the world have enacted laws making FOPL mandatory. In 2018, the Food Safety Standards Authority India (FSSAI) published draft regulation for FOPL which was subsequently withdrawn for further deliberation. In 2019 December, FSSAI delinked FOPL from general labelling regulations. In December 2020 it restarted the process and is currently seeking consultations with civil society, industry and nutrition experts for a viable model for India. FOPL works best when it is made mandatory and applies to all packaged products, the label is interpretative, simplistic and readily visible, guided by a strong nutrient profile model.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here