Published Feb 26, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 26, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Nearly half of respondents said schools are their main source of nutrition information.
Synopsis: Food advertisements strongly influence what Indian adolescents eat, while high prices limit access to healthier options, a nationwide survey has found. Doctors say the widespread availability of junk food is contributing to obesity at younger ages, with children now developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol that were once seen mainly in adults.
Food advertisements shape what many Indian adolescents eat, while high prices block access to healthier options, a nationwide survey of 143,878 adolescents by the Public Health Foundation of India has found.
More than two-thirds of respondents (67.6 percent) said food advertisements influence their choices. At the same time, 72.6 percent said they read nutrition information on packaged foods. But nearly 63 percent said nutrient information on packaging should be simplified so it is easier to understand.
The findings, published in BMC Nutrition, draw on responses of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years collected through UNICEF’s U-Report platform between June and November 2022.
Dr Kavitha Sakamuri, Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Endocrinologist at Ankura Hospital, told South First the findings show a basic problem: “The information given at the back of a package, what we are really talking about is the negative nutritional value. Instead of listing complicated chemical names, they should clearly highlight whether something is harmful or not recommended for consumption.”
She proposed a simple fix: “A colour-coding system could help. If something is marked in green, it means it is allowed or safer to consume. If something is marked in red, it indicates that it should not be present in the food. Even as adults we may not understand terms like NS-127. Children will not understand them either.”
Economic barriers were the strongest obstacle to healthy eating. About 30.7 percent of adolescents said they could not eat healthy food because it is too expensive. Another 15.3 percent avoided healthy food because they do not find it tasty. Around 10 percent cited poor availability or lack of variety.
Despite this, 72.6 percent said they eat healthily and have access to healthy food. But 11.6 percent said they want to eat healthily but lack access.
Nearly half of respondents (49.5 percent) said schools are their main source of nutrition information. Online platforms follow at 20.8 percent, while 15.1 percent cite home. In addition, 43.8 percent said increasing nutrition knowledge could reduce unhealthy food consumption.
About one-third said they eat fruit and vegetables three times a week, and another one-third eat them daily. Nearly half eat junk food occasionally, while about 15 percent eat it twice a week.
Almost 49 percent said unhealthy eating can lead to both overweight and underweight. A further 29 percent linked it only to overweight or obesity, which shows partial awareness of nutrition risks.
The finding that 67.6 percent said advertisements influence their choices matches research from other countries. Studies from southern India report similar patterns.
“The study demonstrates that advertisements and marketing of foods do impact adolescent food choices, and hence, they should be regulated not to mislead adolescents,” the authors wrote.
The authors said adolescent food choices result from taste, price, marketing, access and social influences. They recommend simplifying food labels, making healthy food more affordable, strengthening school-based nutrition education, and tightening regulation of advertising for foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
Dr Sakamuri said the survey’s findings on advertising match what she sees in practice.
“When I was a child, I did not have access to junk foods like burgers, pizzas, or donuts. I had never even heard of them. Now, if you look around, especially in places like Telangana, junk food is everywhere,” she said.
“We are increasingly moving towards fast foods because they are quick to prepare and easy to consume. They are convenient, and that is part of the problem.”
The health effects are already visible. She said she is seeing metabolic changes in younger children.
“I receive many referrals every day, even for babies who are less than a year old because they are significantly overweight. There is no age limit for obesity. It is affecting children from under one year of age up to 18 years,” she said.
Obesity, she explained, sets off a chain reaction. “When a child becomes obese, insulin resistance develops. The sensitivity to insulin is lost. Blood sugar levels rise, and children are at risk of developing pre-diabetes and eventually type 2 diabetes,” she said.
Dr Sakamuri now treats conditions once confined to adults. “In my own practice, I am now treating children with type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol levels, which I never imagined I would see in this age group. These were conditions adults would face. But we are now seeing them in children themselves,” she added.
Moreover, puberty can compound existing obesity.
“If a child is already obese at the start of puberty, that becomes a concern. Puberty itself brings physiological changes that contribute to weight gain. If puberty is naturally going to increase weight, and on top of that the child is already overweight, it can lead to significant obesity,” she said.
Dr Sakamuri said regulation could interrupt that cycle. “If policymakers seriously look into regulating advertising and media exposure, it can make a difference, not only in Telangana but across India.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
