Food Ads Misleading; Fueling Obesity & Diabetes In India

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – Advertisements of unhealthy food products with high salt food products, or ultra-processed food are misleading and are “seductive, luring, manipulative or deceptive” people to buy and in turn increasing the incidences of obesity and diabetes, according to a new report on July 6.

The report ’50 Shades of Food Advertising’, by the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest, is based on an observational study of the appeal in 50 advertisements of food products that have appeared in popular English and Hindi newspapers available in Delhi and took note of some of the ads that appeared in TV commercials during cricket games or few on social media.

It calls upon the government to amend existing regulations to end these misleading ads.

The report comes as India is facing persistent undernutrition among children under five, and a rising trend of obesity and diabetes among grown-ups.

The recent ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition’s dietary guidelines for Indians reveals that more than 10 per cent of 5-19- year-olds are pre-diabetic. This is when the government has set a target to halt the rise of obesity and diabetes among Indians by 2025.

The report provides evidence that food and drink products under the category of unhealthy/HFSS or UPFs “are being advertised by using different appeals such as evoking emotional feelings, manipulating the use of experts, appropriating benefits of real fruits, using celebrities to add value to the brand, projecting as healthy, etc.”.

NAPi also recommends stopping any food advertisements if the food product is HFSS and UPF.