NEW DELHI: Junk food and sugar-sweetened beverages will soon be taxed higher and subjected to tougher advertising norms. The government plans these measures to control the growing incidence of diabetes in the country.

The health ministry and the central food safety regulator are working on a proposal to cut consumption of unhealthy food and beverages, mainly among children. For, these are known to be responsible for the burden of diabetes cases and obesity. An inter-ministerial consultation on the matter took place in February .

“There is a serious effort to control non-communicable diseases, mainly diabetes and cancer. We have a multisectoral action plan and consultations are on with different ministries,“ a senior health ministry official said. The ministry is compiling feedback from ministries and will refer the proposal to the finance ministry and the PMO, he added.

There is consensus among ministries and departments on the need for stringent measures to contain the rising disease burden right from childhood, the official said.

Diabetes Foundation and Centre of Nutrition and Metabolic Research estimates show the annual per capita consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in the country rose from around 2 litres per head in 1998 to 11 litres per head in 2014.

The proposal, in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, is likely to include stringent packaging norms for junk food and soft drinks, energy drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages. While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been asked to look at the packaging issues, the ministry is mulling restrictions on endorsement and advertisement of such products, mainly during primetime.

India's diabetes burden and the obesity problem have assumed serious levels and there's an urgent need to check these from going out of hand, the government feels. Among other factors, experts blame these on the consumption of sugary beverages and junk food.

“High consumption of sugary beverages contributes to multiple metabolic disorders due to accrual of body fat, as well as directly through excess nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs), which impair critical functioning of the liver, pancreas and cellular functions,“ said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis CDOC Centre of Diabetes.

Public health agencies and doctors worldwide are worried doctors worldwide are worried over the increasing disease burden, mainly in middle and low-income countries. Latest WHO estimates show the prevalence of diabetes in India has doubled from 32 million in 2000 to 63 million in 2013. It is projected to increase to 101.2 million in the next 15 years.

Highlighting how sedentary lifestyles coupled with sugary , salty and fatty diets rich in refined carbohydrates are driving the epidemic, WHO South East Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said the governments must insist on food labeling to help consumers make right decisions and tax sugary beverages.



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