End the free rein of junk food advertising in India
Despite the Government of India’s plans to change advertising laws to curb the promotion of HFSS (high in fat, sugar and sodium) foods, such products continue to be excessively advertised. As evidence continues to grow about the health harms associated with industrially processed foods designed to be highly palatable and potentially addictive, restricting their advertising, particularly exposure to children and teenagers, may no longer be inevitable.
Try opening a YouTube video about politics, scrolling through Instagram reels, or scanning a newspaper; You’re likely to encounter ads for noodles, chips, biscuits, breakfast cereals, chocolate, sugary drinks or other ultra-processed food (UPF) products. Recently, there was a YouTube ad for a baked chips brand that was newly launched in India. In the advertisement, the cheese and tomato flavors and “crispness” of the product were emphasized in a way that would appeal to consumers. What it did not disclose was that the product was a UPF containing ingredients such as maltodextrin, nature-identical flavors, flavorings, salt substitute (KCl/potassium chloride), acidity regulators (627, 631) and emulsifier (322). In the ad, selective attributes such as “baked” were prominently promoted, while material health information, including the product’s high salt and fat content and the presence of refined carbohydrates, was omitted. Such marketing practices can create a misleading impression of healthiness while hiding the nutritional risks associated with these products.
Although readers may recall their own experiences, there are several other examples in the media. A female movie celebrity is seen recommending a multi-grain, “maida choco cereal-free” product for her son, despite it being a high-sugar product. An entire family of actors is endorsing the “12-grain” breakfast cereal, while a popular movie actor is also endorsing the biscuit as a “good choice.” However, the fact that many of these products contain high amounts of sugar, fat and/or salt raises questions about the messages conveyed by such endorsements. Such selective statements create a false perception of healthiness and deprive consumers, especially children and adolescents, of the right to make an informed choice.
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Check out the frames
The focus of this article is also to draw the attention of policy makers to the need to review whether existing legal frameworks adequately serve the public interest. Clearer legal provisions may be needed to effectively regulate advertising of unhealthy food products.
Advertising is directly linked to increased consumption of UPF, which is strongly associated with rising rates of obesity and diabetes. These advertisements often feature child actors and create desire for such products by using emotionally appealing messages aimed at both children and parents. The fact that three major transnational companies spent $13.2 billion on advertising in 2024 underlines the volume and power of advertising for food products. Advertising does not merely reflect demand; helps create it. In India alone, more than two lakh junk food ads in a month were supported by an ad spend of around 170 crore.
Evidence suggests that UPFs may promote overconsumption through mechanisms similar to those identified in addiction science. Health hazards associated with UPFs appear to be closely linked to industrial design and marketing strategies. But the food industry fails to explain this fact to people. Recently, the city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against 10 major UPF manufacturers, alleging child-targeted marketing, development of highly attractive product formulations, and inadequate disclosure of health risks such as obesity and diabetes. Among other remedies, the lawsuit sought to prevent further deceptive marketing practices and pushed for corrective measures to address the effects of past false advertising.
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A policy gap
The Government of India’s National Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (NMAP) for Prevention and Control of Common Non-Communicable Diseases (2017-2022) has envisaged ban/restriction of advertisements of HFSS foods. Most prepackaged foods are highly processed; It contains additives such as colorants, sweeteners, emulsifiers and sweeteners and is usually HFSS. The issue has attracted political attention. In February 2026, the Supreme Court of India, in response to a PIL on warning labels for packaged foods, observed that front-of-package labeling is necessary to protect the right to health. The 2025-26 Economic Survey also highlighted concerns about unhealthy diets. Many Members of Parliament have called for stronger measures, including warning labels on the front of packaging, advertising restrictions and taxation of UPFs. In 2024, the Court noted that misleading advertising could encourage unhealthy food consumption by children, pregnant women and the elderly and could have serious health consequences. These developments indicate a growing recognition that current protection measures may be inadequate.
The Lancet Series on UPFs and Human Health published three articles in November 2025 presenting scientific evidence linking UPF consumption to lower dietary quality, substitution of real foods, and higher rates of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases. Global and Indian data show that increased UPF consumption coincides with rising obesity rates. The Lancet made a strong case for the need for policies to reduce UPF consumption in food environments; Many experts have argued that policymaking should not wait for further evidence.
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Food environment needs fixing
Children and adolescents in India are exposed to advertisements for UPF and HFSS foods every day on television, digital platforms, social media, sports broadcasts and through influencers. This sustainable and sophisticated marketing is designed to build brand loyalty and shape lifelong consumption patterns. The purpose of the UPF industry is clear: to promote the substitution of real culinary or cultural foods for profit. What children and teenagers eat is inseparable from the foods they are persuaded to eat at school, at work, in the movie theater, in other public places, and even in their homes.
Experts in the Lancet Series argue that nutrition education and behavior change programs alone cannot succeed in an environment where unhealthy food products are aggressively marketed.
This situation underscores an important constitutional principle: When harm is foreseeable and the population is vulnerable, the state has a duty to protect public health and regulate the marketing of unhealthy food products. India committed to restrict such advertising in 2017, but this target has not yet been met. Given the scale of the problem, neither market forces nor self-regulation are likely to be sufficient. Therefore, there is a strong case for the Government of India to introduce stricter controls on the advertising and promotion of UPFs and HFSS foods as planned in 2017 by amending its advertising laws.
If schools are to be preserved as spaces free of UPFs, HFSS foods, and misleading nutritional messages, it is inconsistent to ignore the commercial environment that shapes children’s choices outside of school. The school environment itself requires clear policy direction, not just recommendations (as Brazil has recently done). The Economic Survey has called for stronger regulation of UPF advertising and marketing. International experience, from Chile to Mexico, shows that voluntary self-regulation is often ineffective, but enforceable legal measures can be more effective. Given its impact on children’s food choices, advertising needs to be subject to stronger regulation within the broader right to health.
Restricting advertising of unhealthy food products need not be seen as anti-industrial or anti-profit. In fact, this could reduce company advertising spending and encourage companies to redirect their resources to minimally processed foods and healthier local markets. Such a shift could help shape more sustainable and health-oriented food systems in the future.
Arun Gupta is a pediatrician, Public Interest Nutrition Advocacy (NAPi) organizer, and co-author of the Lancet Series.
It was published – 22 June 2026 01:18 IST
