New Delhi: India's top doctors including paediatricians and public health experts appealed central government for the adoption of front-of-pack warning labels on all unhealthy food products to safeguard people's lives from the looming crisis of non-communicable disease (NCD). In a resolution being adopted by the experts in the country's health sector recently, the doctors have appealed central government to work on this immediately.
Citing recent research that overconsumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and beverages lead to overweight and obesity-key risk factors for cancer, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver and various other deadly diseases, the experts called upon the central government to urgently consider the application of mandatory warning labels on ultra-processed foods and food products high in sugar, salt or saturated fat.
"Right to health is a fundamental right of every human being and youths health is nation's wealth. Therefore, in the Indian context, states are required to adopt regulatory measures such as front-of-package warning labelling on foods and beverages containing excessive amounts of critical nutrients such as sugar to tackle the rising burden of obesity and NCDs," said Dr Suneela Garg, president, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM).
Read: Gujarat: Declared brain dead after accident, two youths give new life to 12 people
A recent survey conducted over such disease covering 2,33,672 people and 673 public health offices in 21 States in India stated that the burden of NCD is long-lasting as 65 percent of the country's population is below 35 years of age. It says that changing lifestyle, urbanisation, pollution and ageing populations are linked to increases in the number of such diseases including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer among others.
Experts from Pediatric and Adolescent Nutrition Society (PAN)- IAP Nutrition Chapter and Epidemiology Foundation of India (EFI) pointed out that the food industry wants to delay and dilute the warning labels guidelines as there is vested interest. They emphasised that the marketing of packaged food items is a health hazard for children under 5 years and adolescents as they are the most vulnerable group of NCDs because of unhealthy food products consumption.
Neha Khandpur, an expert and faculty of public health from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil's centre for nutrition said, "Warning labels have consistently been shown to be most effective at improving consumer understanding, at influencing their purchase decisions and at supporting healthy food choices. They also are most likely to encourage product reformulations. Warning labels are the strongest nutrient-based label that India should consider implementing."
Dr Arun Gupta, convenor of nutrition advocacy in the public interest (NAPI), a national think tank working on nutrition policy, said, "If we don't put a break in sales of ultra-processed food, India will join the club of obesity epidemic's developed nations like UK and USA in the coming decade."
Read: 'Higher Risk Of COVID Complications If Pregnant Woman Gets Infected In 3rd Trimester'
