4.1cr kids obese, ICMR seeks tighter curbs

Nearly 4.1 crore Indian children are overweight or obese, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2026.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) unveiled a roadmap under the 'Let's Fix Our Food' initiative to halt the trend.

Key proposals include front-of-pack nutrition labelling, restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods to children, and taxes on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).

The roadmap calls for stricter enforcement of FSSAI regulations prohibiting sale and advertising of HFSS foods within school campuses and 50m of their gates.

The report warns India could account for over 11% of global childhood obesity by 2030 if current trends continue.