In a public statement titled ‘Take the Lead: Ban the Advertisements of Junk Food Products’ signed on August 8, the health experts have also called for mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on unhealthy packaged foods, comprehensive regulation of food marketing practices and a ban on the sale of sugary beverages and HFSS products in school canteens and vending machines.

 

The experts have asked the centre to implement recommendations contained in the Economic Survey 2025-26 highlighting rising obesity and proposed stronger policy measures, including front-of-pack warning labels and restrictions on advertising of UPF and HFSS foods during hours when children are likely to be exposed.

 

The signatories include Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Dr K. Srinath Reddy, Dr Narender Arora, Dr Anoop Misra, Dr Gurpreet S. Wander, Dr Ambrish Mithal,  Dr Randeep Guleria, Dr V. Mohan, Dr Shashank Joshi, Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, Dr K. R. Antony, Dr T. S. Kler, Dr Arun Gupta, Ms Deepika Shrivastava and others. They cite national health data and an NSSO survey indicating a substantial rise in cardiovascular and endocrine/metabolic diseases, describing the increase as almost threefold over seven years. It also points to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), which shows nearly one in three women and more than one in four men aged 15-49 are now overweight or obese.

 

The experts have expressed particular concern about rising obesity among children and adolescents and argue that population-level preventive measures are urgently required.

 

According to the statement, many commonly marketed unhealthy food products fall within the categories of UPFs and/or HFSS foods. These include sugar-sweetened beverages, sweetened dairy products, biscuits, chocolates, instant noodles, breakfast cereals and confectionery.

 

The products are frequently high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats and may also contain additives such as artificial flavours, colours, emulsifiers, stabilisers and non-sugar sweeteners.

 

Further, the experts have raised concerns about the way unhealthy food products are marketed, arguing that advertising often presents such products as healthy, modern, aspirational, and entertaining or associated with family emotions.

 

They have specifically highlighted the use of celebrities, influencers, sports sponsorships, school activities, discounts and promotional offers to market unhealthy food. The statement says such marketing strategies can encourage overconsumption and displace healthier and traditional dietary patterns.

 

The experts have placed particular emphasis on children, citing WHO evidence that repeated exposure to unhealthy food advertising can influence children’s food preferences, purchase requests and consumption patterns.The signatories have also pointed to growing scientific evidence linking increased consumption of ultra-processed foods with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and other chronic conditions.

 

The statement cites evidence published in The Lancet, The BMJ and other peer-reviewed scientific literature. The experts argue that the combination of the increasing availability of ultra-processed foods and aggressive marketing makes stronger population-level regulation necessary.

 

The doctors have called for immediate implementation of recommendations in the Economic Survey 2025-26, including restrictions on advertising HFSS and ultra-processed food products during the period from 6 am to 11 pm.

 

They have proposed that the restrictions apply across television, print, digital, streaming and social media platforms, through amendments to the relevant Advertisement Code and Norms of Journalistic Conduct.

 

The experts have also called for prominent front-of-pack warning labels indicating high levels of nutrients of concern, particularly sugar, salt and fats.

 

The statement also points to the government’s national multi sectoral action plan (NMAP) for prevention and control of common non-communicable diseases (2017–22).

 

According to the signatories, the plan included measures to regulate advertising of HFSS foods and sugar-sweetened beverages and proposed amendments to the Advertisement Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules and the Norms of Journalistic Conduct.

 

The plan also envisaged a comprehensive law to regulate the marketing of HFSS food products, as well as measures to restrict the sale of unhealthy foods in educational institutions and promote healthier options in school canteens and kitchens.

 

The experts argue that several of these measures remain inadequately implemented despite extensive inter-sectoral consultations.

 

The signatories say regulation of unhealthy food marketing is consistent with globally accepted approaches to preventive healthcare. They have described protecting children from exposure to unhealthy food products and their marketing as a public health, child-rights and preventive healthcare priority.

 

“We respectfully urge the Government of India to take lead in decisive public health action to protect children and families from harmful food product marketing and advertising,” says the statement signed by the medical and public health practitioners.