“Just as cigarette or pan masala once became a symbol of the situation, food in junk food outlets or holding birthday parties in popular outlets or chains is now seen in the same way. This danger is that these patterns leave a strong and permanent effect on young minds, which are psychological and physical lifestyle leads.

Dr. The observation of Kanjia comes in the form of global data that shows a historical change in childhood nutrition: obesity between school -aged children and adolescents has now overtaken the low weight as a major form of malnutrition. Broadly, one of the 10 youth worldwide is living with obesity, a figure measured in hundreds of millions.

Marketing as teacher

“Children are highly impressive,” Dr. Kanojia said. “When three of the four are conveyed to these messages every week, they are being directed by more advertising than nutrition. This does not mean that parents are failing, which means that family are working in the environment standing against them. To curb the exposure without supporting policies, children can make easy goals for lifeless unwell.

Research supports the concern of doctors. Several reviews and monitoring studies suggest that a large part of the hair-targeted food advertising promotes calories, nutrient-poor products, often indicates about three of every four child-centered advertisements for unhealthy foods and that exposure increases immediate food intake and shapes longer.

Policy needs to prevent childhood health crisis

Doctors insisted that school and parents alone cannot compete with the impact of junk food marketing. Strong rules are necessary on advertising and clear nutrition policies, he said. Dr. Lalita Kanojia warned, “If policy makers, teachers, and families do not work together, the next generation risks are being potentially defined more than healable metabolic risk, a result that should stop the decades of public-health work,” Dr. Lalita Kanojia warned.

“Schools can promote healthy food and physical activity, but when children are filled with images of fast food outside the classroom, their work is often reduced.” “This is why this issue cannot be resolved by schools alone. This requires a joint response from policy makers who can regulate advertising from healthcare professionals, who can raise awareness, and from families that strengthen healthy routines at home.”

Dr. Ruchi Golsh, a pediatrician from Semri Kolkata, echoed that systemic view. “Yes, in many ways, junk food advertisement reflects the tobacco industry of the past today. Children are deliberately targeted at a weak age, bright packaging, mascot, and attractive jingles that override to make rational decisions with attractive jingles. Such as cigarettes have tilted young adults in the last decades, before the tastes of children now

Golsh explained how marketing often trumps education. “It is less about the failure of the parents and more about the systemic effects. Parents cannot compete with the scale and recurrence of marketing and expose children on TV, YouTube, gaming apps, or billboard. This is a policy issue, which requires strong regulation on advertisements for the purpose of children, which is equal to advertising.

Policy experts say that steps that can reduce children’s marketing risk from legal sanctions on targeted advertisements and strict limitations during children’s programming, plain-packaging and warning for harmful products, but are widely different in implementation countries and rely on many voluntary industry codes which have been unqualified by public health researchers.

Indian picture

India has to face double burden, malnutrition pockets also persist, even urban centers record more weight and increasing rate of obesity in children. UNICEF and National Studies have warned that the spread of ultra-related foods, increasing income and comprehensive advertising trends and the increasing part of the national and global burden of childhood obesity can be detected by India’s large population.

Dr. “Sugar beverages in school canteens or fried foods can be banned in school canteen, but large food environment reduces these efforts.” “A child can see dozens of advertisements for chips or soda on the way to the house. Without advertising and supporting policy on food labeling, schools alone cannot offset the power of multinational marketing campaigns.”

Both doctors argued for a multi-dimensional approach. Strong regulation of child-directed marketing, clear front-off-pack labeling, public education campaign that reach parents and children, and healthy schools reach food policies. Dr. Kanjia suggested legal warning on particularly harmful products; Public-health advocates recommend a purpose of children in broadcasts and digital platforms to restrict advertisements, closure flaws in voluntary codes and invest in community nutritional programs. The evidence review suggests that when governments reduce the risk of children for unhealthy food marketing, it declines in exposure and often related purchasing behavior.

“When every screen shouts pizza, soda, and fries, how long does ‘childhood’ itself become a health risk category?” Dr. Asked Kanjia. “If these trends continue, we take the same risk.”

If policy makers, teachers and families do not work together, doctors have warned, the next generation risks are being potentially defined more than healing metabolic risk, a result that should stop the decades of public health work.