India News | ICMR-NIN-led 'Let's Fix Our Food' Consortium Releases Policy Priorities to Promote Healthier Diets for Children, Adolescents

New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN)-led 'Let's Fix Our Food' (LFOF) Consortium on Wednesday released a policy document titled 'Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India', outlining evidence-based recommendations to support healthier food environments and improve dietary behaviours among children and adolescents across the country.

According to a Health Ministry release, the policy document was launched by Dr M Srinivas, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog, during the LFOF Dissemination and Consultation Workshop held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

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Dr Bharati Kulkarni, Director of ICMR-NIN; K Srinath Reddy, founder president of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and representatives from the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, FSSAI, UNICEF India, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), consortium partner institutions, researchers, development partners and youth representatives were present at the event.

According to the press release, the Let's Fix Our Food (LFOF) Consortium is a multi-institutional national platform led by ICMR-NIN, with participation from Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) India, UNICEF India, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), PHFI, WHO, FSSAI, IEG, WFP, Lady Irwin College, IFPRI, Deakin University and other national and international partners.

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Through research, policy analysis, advocacy and stakeholder engagement, the Consortium seeks to support India's efforts to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases by transforming food environments, particularly for children and adolescents.

The publication brings together nearly three years of multidisciplinary research, stakeholder consultations and policy dialogues. It sets out policy recommendations across key areas, including healthy school food environments, nutrition literacy, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, regulation of marketing of unhealthy food to children, taxation of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), healthier dietary fats, salt reduction, low-sodium salt substitutes, social and behaviour change communication, youth engagement and fiscal measures to promote healthier diets.

Dr M Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said, "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."

Dr Bharati Kulkarni, Director of ICMR-NIN, said, "ICMR-NIN is committed to generating high-quality evidence and fostering partnerships that translate research into public health action. 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."

K Srinath Reddy, Founder President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), underscored the need for comprehensive policy interventions addressing the commercial, social and environmental determinants of unhealthy diets, and called for sustained action to protect children and adolescents from obesogenic food environments.

The workshop also witnessed the launch of several knowledge products developed under the Consortium, including the LFOF website, the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) and its report, an e-learning module on understanding food labels, and a suite of ICMR-NIN educational resources on fats, sugars and salt to strengthen nutrition literacy among children and adolescents, the press release stated.

Marie-Claude Desilets, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF India, said, "Malnutrition is no longer only about undernutrition. Rising obesity, driven by unhealthy diets, challenges healthy growth among children and adolescents. The release of these ten policy briefs and the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) mark a step towards creating policies for healthier school food environments. Every child has the right to grow up in a food environment that enables them to thrive, learn and achieve their full potential."

Syed Imran Farooq, Executive Director, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), highlighted the need to reduce excess salt, fat and sugar intake alongside food policies that support healthier food environments and lower the burden of cardiovascular diseases and other health threats. He also acknowledged the leadership of ICMR-NIN and reaffirmed RTSL's commitment to the shared vision of healthier food environments across India.

The consultation showcased new evidence generated by consortium partners on school food environments, unhealthy food marketing, nutrition education, dietary behaviours, fiscal policy options and nutrition environment assessments across multiple states. The workshop concluded with thematic discussions on translating evidence into actionable policy recommendations to support healthier food environments for children and adolescents.

The Let's Fix Our Food Consortium was established to generate evidence and catalyse policy action for healthier food environments in India, with a special focus on children and adolescents. The policy priorities released today draw on multidisciplinary research and consultations and seek to support efforts to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases through coordinated, evidence-informed action, the press release stated. (ANI)

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