By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 23, 2026 7:59 am
The recommendations cover a broad range of policy interventions aimed at addressing the rising burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases
The Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN)-led 'Let's Fix Our Food' (LFOF) Consortium has released a comprehensive policy document recommending evidence-based measures to create healthier food environments and improve dietary habits among children and adolescents in India.
Titled 'Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India', the document was launched by Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, during the LFOF Dissemination and Consultation Workshop held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
The event was attended by Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN, Prof. (Dr.) K. Srinath Reddy, Founder President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), along with senior representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), UNICEF India, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), consortium partner institutions, researchers, development agencies and youth representatives.
The policy document is the outcome of nearly three years of multidisciplinary research, stakeholder consultations and policy dialogues undertaken by the LFOF Consortium—a multi-institutional national platform led by ICMR-NIN with participation from organizations including Resolve to Save Lives India, UNICEF India, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), WHO, FSSAI, PHFI, IFPRI, Deakin University and several other national and international partners.
The recommendations cover a broad range of policy interventions aimed at addressing the rising burden of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Key focus areas include strengthening healthy school food environments, improving nutrition literacy, introducing front-of-pack nutrition labelling, regulating the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, taxing foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), promoting healthier dietary fats, reducing salt consumption, encouraging the use of low-sodium salt substitutes, advancing social and behaviour change communication, fostering youth engagement and implementing fiscal measures that support healthier food choices.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. M. Srinivas emphasized the importance of coordinated, evidence-based policymaking.
"Evidence-based, multisectoral policy action is essential to create healthier food environments for children and adolescents. Collaborative initiatives such as the Let's Fix Our Food Consortium are important for addressing the growing burden of overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases in India," he said.
Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN, said the institute remains committed to generating high-quality scientific evidence that informs public health policy.
"The policy recommendations reflect the collective efforts of researchers, policymakers, development partners and young people working towards healthier food environments for India's future generations," she said.
Highlighting the broader determinants of unhealthy diets, Prof. (Dr.) K. Srinath Reddy, Founder President, PHFI, called for comprehensive policy interventions to address the commercial, social and environmental factors contributing to unhealthy eating patterns, while stressing the need to protect children and adolescents from obesogenic food environments.
The workshop also witnessed the launch of several knowledge resources developed under the Consortium, including the LFOF website, the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) and its accompanying report, an e-learning module on food labels, and a suite of ICMR-NIN educational resources on fats, sugars and salt aimed at strengthening nutrition literacy among young people.
Marie-Claude Desilets, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF India, said malnutrition today extends beyond undernutrition, with childhood obesity emerging as a major public health concern.
"Every child has the right to grow up in a food environment that enables them to thrive, learn and achieve their full potential," she said, adding that the new policy briefs and school assessment toolkit would help support healthier school food environments.
Dr. Syed Imran Farooq, Executive Director, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), underscored the importance of reducing excess salt, fat and sugar intake through supportive food policies that can help lower the burden of cardiovascular diseases and other diet-related health conditions. He also reaffirmed RTSL's commitment to working with ICMR-NIN and other partners to advance healthier food environments across India.