– Reshma Ravishanker

Leading doctors and public health experts have urged the Centre to impose a ‘watershed’ ban on junk food advertisements and make front-of-pack warning labels mandatory on unhealthy packaged food products, citing the growing burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.

In a letter to Union minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, experts from across the country are calling for the immediate implementation of recommendations made in the Economic Survey 2025-26, including a ‘watershed’ restriction on advertisements for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

A watershed ban would mean that such advertisements would be prohibited across media platforms during the period from 6 am to 11 pm, effectively covering most waking hours and hence limiting exposure to junk food marketing to children and adolescents.

The public statement “Take the Lead: Ban the Advertisements of Junk Food Products”, has been endorsed by several eminent medical and public health professionals, including Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Indian paediatrician and former deputy director of the World Health Organization, Dr K Srinath Reddy founder and past president of the Public Health Foundation of India, Dr Narender Arora, epidemiologist, and global health expert among others like Dr Anoop Misra, Dr Gurpreet S Wander, Dr Ambrish Mithal, Dr Randeep Guleria, Dr V Mohan, Dr Shashank Joshi, Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, Dr Shyam Bansal, Dr Navdeep Singh Khaira, Dr B Ekbal, Dr K R Antony, Dr T S Kler and Dr Arun Gupta who has been championing the cause.

Expressing concern over India’s rapidly increasing burden of diet-related NCDs, the experts cited data from the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), according to which nearly one in three women and more than one in four men aged 15-49 are overweight or obese.

The signatories said aggressive and misleading marketing of junk food, including the use of celebrity endorsements and sports sponsorships, was contributing to the public health crisis, particularly among children and young people. “We are concerned that these junk foods are increasingly promoted through persuasive and misleading advertising strategies that encourage overconsumption,” the statement said.

Key demands before the government:

* Immediate restrictions on HFSS and UPF advertising from 6 am to 11 pm, through amendments to the Advertisement Code.
* Mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged food products.
* Comprehensive legislation to regulate marketing practices, including clear definitions of UPFs and HFSS foods and restrictions on celebrity endorsements, cartoon characters, child-directed promotions and “buy one get one free” offers.
* Ban on the sale of sugary beverages and HFSS products in school canteens.

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