GS-II: Governance | Public Health | Nutrition
Context
- Dual nutritional challenge: India continues to face undernutrition, but the recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS) also highlights the sharp rise in overweight, obesity and diet-related metabolic conditions.
- Recent policy recommendations: A Parliamentary Standing Committee and the ICMR-NIN-led consortium ‘Let’s Fix Our Food’ have suggested measures such as mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling, health taxes on unhealthy foods and stricter regulation of their advertisements.
Changing Nutrition Scenario in India
- Undernutrition remains a concern: Despite some improvements, stunting and undernutrition continue to affect a significant section of the population.
- Rise in overnutrition: Increasing adult overweight, obesity and diet-related metabolic conditions have emerged as major public health concerns due to evolving lifestyles.
Recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee
- Front-of-pack nutrition labelling: Recommended mandatory front-of-pack labels indicating whether packaged food products are high in sugar.
- Sugar content in baby foods: Recommended displaying sugar content in baby foods to address excessive sugar consumption from an early age.
Recommendations of the ‘Let’s Fix Our Food’ Consortium
- Constituted under: Led by the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) along with several institutions in India and abroad.
- Health tax: Recommended levying a health tax on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).
- Regulation of advertisements: Suggested stricter regulation of advertisements promoting unhealthy foods.
- Healthier school food environment: Recommended creating healthier food environments in schools.
- Front-of-pack nutrition labelling: Supported mandatory nutrition labelling to enable consumers to make informed food choices.
- Comprehensive strategy: Suggested that tackling obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases requires a comprehensive government-led strategy.
Global Experience
- WHO observation: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since 2017, at least 133 countries have introduced or increased a health tax.
- Colombia’s Junk Food Law: Implemented in 2023 to reduce consumption of packaged foods. The additional tax started at 10%, increased to 15% the following year and 20% thereafter.
- Other countries: Norway, Hungary, Denmark, Bermuda, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Navajo Nation (U.S.) have also imposed taxes on unprocessed sugar and sugar-added foods.
Need for Immediate Action
- Rising childhood obesity: The ICMR-NIN report states that more than 17 million children and adolescents are affected by obesity.
- Future projection: The number could exceed 27 million by 2030.
- Consumer awareness: The proposed measures can help educate consumers and encourage healthier food choices.
Conclusion
- Addressing overnutrition: Along with tackling undernutrition, India must now address the growing burden of obesity and diet-related diseases through appropriate policy interventions.
- Promoting healthier diets: Mandatory food labelling, regulation of unhealthy food marketing and health taxes can encourage healthier dietary choices and help reduce obesity.
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UPSC Mains Practice Question
Q. India is witnessing a growing burden of obesity alongside persistent undernutrition. Discuss the measures suggested to promote healthier food choices and reduce diet-related non-communicable diseases
