In the global story of obesity, our biggest stumble may well be how we let the food industry set the agenda. In India too, the influence of big food corporations on policy and public messaging poses a serious challenge—because instead of fixing the roots of the problem, some partnerships subtly shift the blame onto individuals.
Across the West, we’ve seen fast‐food giants collaborating with charities (think pink buckets from KFC with breast cancer campaigns) or educational NGOs quietly withdrawing support for soda taxes—sometimes soon after receiving industry grants. While India hasn’t seen identical moves, the pattern is clear: ultra-processed food companies push narratives that obesity arises from inactivity, not poor diet.
This is dangerous because while exercise helps, caloric intake from junk is skyrocketing faster than physical activity levels ever can keep up—even in active populations. The obesity epidemic in India is primarily driven by our changing food supply, not reduced movement.
In India, obesity is no longer just an urban concern. According to NFHS‑5 (2020‑21), overweight and obesity affects nearly 38 % of women and 32 % of men in Punjab alone—and nationally it’s rising sharply across both urban and rural areas.
As India integrates into global food systems, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are flooding the market—sales soared from $900 million in 2006 to nearly $38 billion by 2019 .
India’s Economic Survey 2024–25 hinted at a wake-up call: suggesting a ‘health tax’ on ultra-processed foods, stricter front-of-package labelling, and setting limits for salt and sugar content.
Kerala experimented with a fat tax on burgers and pizzas in 2016. A study found fast-food purchases dropped by nearly 4 percentage points—even though the tax was overturned after 11 months. The decline continued—5.6 points lower post-nullification—showing the tax influenced behaviour temporarily.
Moreover, an ICMR-led consortium called Let’s Fix Our Food (LFOF) recently advocated for health taxes on foods high in fat, sugar, and salt, and tighter advertising restrictions near schools.
A 2025 Indian microsimulation found that raising GST on HFSS (high fat, sugar, salt) foods to the highest bracket (28%) could reduce average BMI by 0.1 kg/m² and lower daily sodium intake. Over 30 years, this intervention could avert nearly 9.4 million disease cases—saving USD 15 billion in healthcare costs.
Meanwhile, data modelling suggests that imposing a 20–30% excise tax on ultra-processed items could lower consumption by 7–24% and generate crucial public revenue for health measures.
India is beginning to confront its UPF epidemic. In 2025, the Ministry of Health directed schools and government institutions to display “oil and sugar boards”—warning posters about calorie and fat content in foods like samosas and jalebis, akin to cigarette-style labels.
FFSSAI also pushed schools to establish “sugar boards” and reduce oil consumption by 10%, while supporting the Eat Right India campaign across states.
Subsidise the Good, Tax the Bad
India doesn’t just need punitive taxes; we must rethink subsidies. Too much public money currently makes animal-based and UPFs artificially cheap, while unprocessed plant foods aren’t incentivised sufficiently. Success will require a dual strategy:
• Make processed animal products more expensive relative to pulses, fruit, and vegetables.- Subsidise wholesome, traditional plant-based foods to make them accessible.
Big food companies often defend marketing through arguments about choice and personal responsibility. These arguments closely resemble those once used by tobacco giants. Yet India wisely banned tobacco advertising—and imposed heavy restrictions—because it acknowledged that health harms aren’t just a matter of personal choice.
Today, poor diet causes more death and disability than smoking. If we don’t treat harmful food products similarly—through controls, taxes, labelling—India stands to lose dearly in health.
Final Takeaways
- Public health triumphs cannot rely on co-option by industry—whether through partnerships or marketing campaigns.
- Fiscal and regulatory policies matter: health taxes, labelling, ad regulation, and school interventions are already showing results in India.
- Broad-based change is needed: not just taxing junk food—but also subsidising legumes, millets, fruits, beans; promoting traditional cuisine as a national asset.
- Like air, food is essential—but we don’t have to breathe smoke, and we don’t have to eat junk.By aligning policy, pricing, education, and culture, India can challenge the new vectors of disease—and reclaim the path toward healthy, traditional eating.
References
• Economic Survey 2024‑25 recommendations: health tax on UPFs; FSSAI regulation calls
• Kerala fat tax study: fast food purchases reduced by ~4–5.6 percentage points
• ICICMR / LFOF consortium policy brief on taxing HFSS foods and regulating advertising
• Modelling study of HFSS taxation and health impacts in India (BMI, DALYs, disease reduction)
• Ultra-processed food marketing risks and global parallels
• Rising obesity stats and NFHS survey data in India
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