The '50 Shades of Food Advertising' report, by Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), is based on an observational study of the appeal of 50 food product advertisements that have appeared in popular English and Hindi newspapers available in Delhi and also took Note some of the ads that appeared on TV commercials during cricket games or some on social media.
Call on the government to amend existing regulations to put an end to these misleading advertisements.
The report is released at a time when India faces persistent malnutrition among children under five and a rising trend of obesity and diabetes among adults.
The recent dietary guidelines for Indians by ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition reveal that more than 10 per cent of children between 5 and 19 years are pre-diabetic. It was then that the government set a target of stopping the rise in obesity and diabetes among Indians by 2025.
The report provides evidence that food and beverage products included in the unhealthy food/HFSS or UPF category "are being advertised using different appeals, such as evoking emotional feelings, manipulating the use of experts, appropriating the benefits of real fruits , use celebrities to add value to the brand, project oneself as healthy, etc.
He noted that these advertisements are misleading in many respects; and also provide information on the gaps in existing legislations such as FSS Act, 2006, Cable TV Network Regulation Act, 1994 and Rules thereunder, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and Journalism Conduct Rules of 2022.
Arun Gupta, pediatrician and coordinator of NAPi, called on the government to implement measures so that "every advertisement reveals in bold the amount of nutrient of concern per 100 grams/ml."
The best thing for the health of the population would be for a public health bill to stop obesity to be proposed in Parliament. “If we fail to stop the growing trend, it will only increase the disease and the economic burden, year after year, for each family and for the health system as a whole,” he added.
NAPi also recommends stopping any food advertising if the food product is HFSS and UPF.
The report also provides an objective method to identify what is misleading food advertising to help authorities like the FSSAI take a quick decision to stop it, said NAPi member and social scientist Nupur Bidla, adding that the delay in banning The ads help "companies enjoy the 'freedom' to advertise and make money while public health may be affected."
Call on the government to amend existing regulations to put an end to these misleading advertisements.
The report is released at a time when India faces persistent malnutrition among children under five and a rising trend of obesity and diabetes among adults.
The recent dietary guidelines for Indians by ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition reveal that more than 10 per cent of children between 5 and 19 years are pre-diabetic. It was then that the government set a target of stopping the rise in obesity and diabetes among Indians by 2025.
The report provides evidence that food and beverage products included in the unhealthy food/HFSS or UPF category "are being advertised using different appeals, such as evoking emotional feelings, manipulating the use of experts, appropriating the benefits of real fruits , use celebrities to add value to the brand, project oneself as healthy, etc.
He noted that these advertisements are misleading in many respects; and also provide information on the gaps in existing legislations such as FSS Act, 2006, Cable TV Network Regulation Act, 1994 and Rules thereunder, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and Journalism Conduct Rules of 2022.
Arun Gupta, pediatrician and coordinator of NAPi, called on the government to implement measures so that "every advertisement reveals in bold the amount of nutrient of concern per 100 grams/ml."
The best thing for the health of the population would be for a public health bill to stop obesity to be proposed in Parliament. “If we fail to stop the growing trend, it will only increase the disease and the economic burden, year after year, for each family and for the health system as a whole,” he added.
NAPi also recommends stopping any food advertising if the food product is HFSS and UPF.
The report also provides an objective method to identify what is misleading food advertising to help authorities like the FSSAI take a quick decision to stop it, said NAPi member and social scientist Nupur Bidla, adding that the delay in banning The ads help "companies enjoy the 'freedom' to advertise and make money while public health may be affected."