Lok Sabha Question No. 3369 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-04
Subject: Obese Children
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SANTOSH AHLAWAT, SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, BHAGWANTH KHUBA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3369 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH AUGUST, 2017

## OBESE CHILDREN

## 3369. SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT: SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI: SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether consumption of junk food has affected the health of children in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether India has the second highest number of obese children in the world after China, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether excess body weight attributed four million deaths in the year 2015, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes a measure to save the health of children by promoting nutritional food, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the response of the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a): 'Junk Food' has not been defined under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Regulations thereunder.

However,  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  has  informed  that  excess consumption of calorie dense foods containing high levels of satu rated fats, trans - f tty acids, free sugars and/or salt either alone, or in combination with insufficient physical activity, c obesity and diabetes, as well as other Non - Communicable Diseases (NCDs). National dietary surveys  indicate  that  foods and  beverages  high  in  free  sugars  can  be  a  major  source  of discretionary  calories  in  the  diet,  particularly  in  the  case  of  children,  adolescents adults.

- (b) & (c): As per a report in the New England journal of medicine(NEJM), China and India had the highest numbers of obese children In 2015.  It was also published that in 2015, h contributed to 4.0 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval, 2.7 to 5.3), which represen (95% uncertainty interval, 4. 9 to 9.6) of the deaths from any cause.

(d) & (e ): The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has requested all States/UT's and the Ministry of Human Resource Development to consider issuing appropriate directions to sch and colleges for withdrawing f oods high in saturated fat and carbonated drinks from canteens and promoting healthy food habits. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is guidelines for making available wholesome, nutritious, safe and hygienic food to school c in In dia on 12.10.2015 whereby the availability of most common HFSS (High in Fat, Salt a Sugar) Foods in schools has been restricted/limited.  Further, to address holistically t High  Fat,  Sugar  and  Salt  (HFSS)  in  food  and  associated  health  risks,  F SSAI  constituted  an Expert Group that included eminent experts from the fields of medicine, nutrition, and d representing well known medical research and academic institutions. The aforesaid guide and report of the expert group have also been uploaded on the website of FSSAI.

The  Government  of  India  has  also  launched  Rashtriya  Kishor  Swasthya  Karyakram (RKSK)  for  adolescents  in  the  age  group  of  10 - 19  years,  which  would  target  their  nutrition including Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening, reproduct ive health, and substance abuse, among other issues.