High levels of sodium in the diet have been linked to hypertension, and sugar, on the other hand, is implicated in obesity. The rates of childhood obesity in India are increasing especially amongst the middle and high income groups. But there is no regulation of any ingredients that go into a baby food product in India, let alone sodium and sugar. The impact of these advertisement trails on lower middle class is far more damaging.
Quite often these food brands acquire snob value and people from not so well-to-do families get tempted in purchasing them as nutritional supplements and a way of becoming elite.
And this in turn adversely affects their spending on essential foods and nutritional items. Little do they realize that the same money could buy foods with much better nutrition for their children!
These advertisements also have adverse psychological impact on children when the unrealistic claims are not fulfilled. The indifference and ignorance shown by the government, law makers, health agencies and professional bodies is indeed disturbing. Despite the presence of law and existence of a strict act, its enactment is flawed and often lax. Food companies keep on flouting the law and enforcing agencies remain ignorant, indifferent, and even accommodative at times. We are more concerned about the indifference and apathy shown by the professional bodies and our professional colleagues.
Indian Academy of Pediatrics IAP , the largest group of professionals working toward child health in the country took a bold stand and adopted a resolution in that states: "The IAP shall not accept the sponsorship in any form from any industry connected directly or indirectly with the products covered by the IMS Act ".
Some even started challenging the utility of this redundant act going by its performance or lack of it over the years. They now even argue that advertisement of these products is innocuous and hardly have any deleterious effect on child health unlike the advertisement of other products like soft drinks which are harmful to the health.
However, they fail to realize their negative impact on child eating habits and nutrition, breastfeeding rates and on family economy especially of lower middle income groups. In most parts of the world, there are few or no specific rules concerning food advertising to children beyond the rules which must apply to all advertising. In India, even general rules pertaining to advertising are very lax. There is urgent need for the government to draft and implement laws that do not deal with advertising in general but are specific and relate to every aspect of advertising, especially those that target young children and pertain to food.
Any food advertisement should be scrutinized with regards to the claims they are making, and the food ingredients should meet standards laid down by some reputed organization free of competing interest. Recommended by Colombia Sponsored Stories. India has vaccine certificate pact with 96 countries: Government.
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