Everywhere you look,TV,social media,phone screen… some ultra-processed snack is being sold like it is fun,light and almost harmless .
And Government of India is now facing more pressure to bring stricter rules on advertising of high-fat,sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods . Plans to change advertising laws were discussed earlier also,but on ground,junk food ads are still everywhere only .
What feels uncomfortable is how these ads are presented . One recent campaign for baked chips focused on flavours and appeal,but did not clearly show high salt and fat content . So audience gets idea that baked means healthier,even when full picture is missing.
And children and adolescents are most vulnerable here ah . They are not sitting and reading nutrition science before buying chips or sugary snacks . If ad looks cool,colourful and fun,that impression stays .
Few things standing out clearly in this whole issue:
- Urgent need for advertising regulations to curb misleading promotions targeting children and adolescents .
- Health risks linked to UPFs are connected with rising obesity and diabetes rates in India.
- Clearer legal frameworks are being demanded to protect consumers from deceptive marketing practices .
Evidence also suggests that advertising is directly linked with higher consumption of UPFs . And these foods are often made to be very tasty,very easy to overeat and maybe even addictive in daily routine . That is not small thing when children are seeing these ads again and again .
And money involved is huge too . Advertising industry spending on junk food promotions is estimated at ₹170 crore monthly,which itself shows why companies keep pushing these products so aggressively.
Globally also,this concern is not staying quiet . City of San Francisco recently filed lawsuit against major UPF manufacturers,and that shows aggressive marketing of such foods is being questioned outside India too.
In India,National Multisectoral Action Plan (NMAP) for Prevention and Control of Common Non-Communicable Diseases has already proposed prohibitions on HFSS food advertising . Supreme Court observations on front-of-pack labeling also show that transparency in food marketing is becoming bigger issue now.
And with obesity and diabetes rising,warning labels and restrictions on ads targeting children feel like obvious next step . But real question is whether rules will actually be enforced strongly,or whether these glossy snack ads will just keep finding new ways to enter every screen…
