4.1cr kids obese, ICMR seeks tighter curbs

NEW DELHI: With World Obesity Atlas 2026 saying nearly 4.1 crore Indian children are already overweight or obese, Indian Council of Medical Research unveiled a roadmap this week to halt the trend.Key proposals include front-of-pack nutrition labelling, restrictions on market-ing of unhealthy foods to chi-ldren, healthier school food environments, improved nutrition literacy, and fiscal measures such as taxes on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).It also calls for stricter enforcement of existing FSSAI regulations that prohibit sale and advertising of foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar and sodium within school campuses and within 50m of their gates. The document recommends routine inspections, stronger monitoring and greater accountability to improve compliance.A pilo