Parliament Question: Rise in childhood obesity in the country

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE RAJYASABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO.2025 TO BE ANSWERED ON10th MARCH, 2026 RISE IN CHILDHOOD OBESITYIN THE COUNTRY 2025. SHRI JAGGESH: Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a) whether Government has taken note of surveys linking junk food advertisements to rising childhood obesity in the country; (b) whether any proposal exists to restrict or ban advertisements of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods, especially those targeting children; (c) whether Government plans to introduce mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling with health warnings on ultra-processed foods; (d) the steps being taken to ensure marketing of infant and toddler foods and trade agreements do not undermine public health policy; and (e) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) to (e): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006isa shared responsibility between the Central andStateGovernments. In order to regulate advertisements, FSSAI has notified Food Safety and Standards (Advertising andClaims) Regulations, 2018which specificallymandates thatAdvertisements shall also not undermine the importance of healthy lifestyles and no advertisement shall bemade for food products which is deceptive to the consumers along with other provisions under the regulations. FSSAI has also notified the Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Regulations, 2020. The sub regulation (2) of regulation 4 specifies that the School Authority shall encourage and promote consumption of a safe and balanced diet in the school canteen or mess or kitchen based on guidance from “Dietary guidelinesfor Indiansschool". FSSAI has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020 which specifies that Food for infant nutrition shall comply with the requirements of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 (42 of 1992) as amended in 2003 including aspect related to advertisement, marketing and promotion of Food products covered under these regulationsinaccordance with the section 3, 4,5,7,8,9and10of the Act, 1992. Moreover, Advertisements and claims of products covered under these regulations shall be in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. *****