Investing in adolescent nutrition is not just health priority but national imperative, says Director General of ICMR
New Delhi: The Let's Fix Our Food (LFOF) Consortium, led by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), UNICEF-India along with other esteemed national and international partners, convened a dissemination and stakeholder consultation recently at the ICMR, New Delhi.
This initiative marks a significant step towards addressing the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among Indian adolescents by working on factors influencing their food environments.
Key Policy Briefs and Nutrition Literacy Resources were released during the Consultation by Dr VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog and Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research, Government of India and Director General, ICMR, in the presence of Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN.
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Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Dr. V.K. Paul emphasized, “The rising burden of overweight and obesity among adolescents is an emerging crisis. If left unaddressed, it will have long-term consequences on public health and economic productivity.” He further added that “the Let’s Fix Our Food (LFOF) Consortium is playing a crucial role in generating evidence and advocating for robust policies to create healthier food environments.”
In his address, Dr. Rajiv Bahl stated that, “Investing in adolescent nutrition is not just a health priority but a national imperative. By fostering healthier food environments and implementing evidence-based policies like placing reasonable restrictions on advertising and marketing of foods to children, possible taxation of foods high in fats, sugars or salt and promoting nutrition literacy, we can secure the well-being of future generations.”
Dr. Bharati Kulkarni underlined that, “Not only scientific research but also key advocacy and thought leadership plays a key role in shaping nutrition policies. The LFOF Consortium’s work provides some valuable insights that can help in our endeavours to promote skill-based Nutrition Literacy for promoting informed and healthy food choices and lifestyles among adolescents.”
Key Releases and Discussions
The policy briefs and research outputs released during the event include: Policy Briefs- Advancing young people’s right to healthy foods through collecting more than 163,000 youth voices through U-report digital channel, regulating advertisements and marketing, taxation on HFSS (High Fat, Sugar, and Salt) foods and beverages, and strategic behavior change communication (SBCC); Model School Nutrition Curriculum to integrate food and nutrition education into schools; Food Label reading Comic Book aimed at improving adolescent food label and overall Skill based Nutrition literacy among all.
The LFOF initiative, with continuous technical support from UNICEF and PHFI has consistently placed adolescents at the forefront of discussions, ensuring their voices are heard through e-dialogues, youth ambassador networks, and engagement in food literacy programmes. Two Adolescent girl and boy also shared their thought on obesogenic food environment that affects their food choices and health during the release.
During the event, a panel discussion explored strategies to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration in fostering healthier food environments. Experts deliberated on regulatory measures, adolescent-led advocacy, and fiscal policies, such as taxation on unhealthy foods, to curb the growing obesity epidemic.
Building upon over two years of research and advocacy, the LFOF Consortium aims to focus on: Scaling up nutrition literacy programs to empower adolescents with informed food choices; Strengthening advertising regulations to protect youth from misleading HFSS food marketing; Advocating for a health tax on sugary drinks and HFSS foods as a deterrent to unhealthy consumption patterns; Creating healthier school and home environments through double-duty actions integrated into national nutrition programs.
Senior representatives from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Education, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Resolve to Save Lives, other key organizations along with a few school students and teachers also participated in the consultation.
Background: The Let’s Fix Our Food (LFOF) Consortium is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by ICMR-NIN, PHFI, and UNICEF, working in collaboration with national and international organizations to create healthier food environments for adolescents. It aims to advance evidence-based policies, empower youth through nutrition literacy, and advocate for regulatory frameworks that promote healthier food choices.
The LFOF Consortium recognizes that bettering food environments for adolescents is essential to combating the growing problem of overweight and obesity. This requires a multifaceted approach that includes policy reform, awareness programs, and collaboration with multiple stakeholders to create a lasting impact.
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