🍔 Kids Eating Junk = Big Trouble? UNICEF Rings Alarm Bells!

TL;DR: A new UNICEF report says school kids worldwide are now more obese than underweight. In India too, childhood obesity is rising fast, thanks to cheap junk food flooding schools and shops. Experts warn this can lead to diabetes, BP, heart disease, and even cancer later in life. The food industry is blamed for trapping kids into unhealthy diets, while fresh fruits and veggies remain costly and hard to access.

Did you know that in just two decades, the number of obese kids globally shot up from 3% to 9.4% while underweight kids dropped from 13% to 9.2%? That’s a shocking shift. According to UNICEF’s fresh report “Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children”, obese children now actually outnumber underweight children worldwide. That shows how dangerous our food habits have become.

Why are kids getting fatter?

The blame is not on children or parents directly. UNICEF points fingers at the food industry. Supermarkets, canteens, and even kirana shops are packed with ultra-processed foods — biscuits, chips, sugary drinks, instant noodles — all cheap and easily available. Meanwhile, fresh food like fruits, veggies, and homemade meals feel like “luxury items” for many families.

📊 Key points from the report:

• Ultra-processed food is loaded with sugar, refined starch, salt & artificial fats.

• Kids can buy a ₹10 packet of chips more easily than a ₹50 fruit plate.

• Aggressive ads make junk food look “cool” while healthy food looks boring.

• Schools are turning into mini-fast-food hubs, with packaged snacks replacing home food.

The scary health risks ahead

Doctors warn that childhood obesity is not “baby fat” but a ticking time bomb. Overweight kids are more likely to develop:

• Type-2 Diabetes

• High BP & heart disease

• Liver & kidney problems

• Even cancers later in life

And let’s be real – most working-class families don’t even have money to treat these costly diseases. This is a health crisis waiting to explode.

What’s happening in India?

India’s childhood obesity numbers are still lower than global levels, but they are rising much faster. Urban kids are at the biggest risk because of:

• Tuition + screen time = almost no physical activity.

• Easy access to packaged food in every corner store.

• Parents working long hours, leading to reliance on “ready-to-eat” meals.

If this continues, India may soon face a double burden: malnutrition in villages + obesity in cities.

MediaFx People’s Take

At the end of the day, this isn’t about “kids eating too much.” It’s about a profit-hungry food industry that pushes cheap poison while making healthy food unaffordable.

👉 Why can’t the government subsidize fresh food the way it does petrol or wheat?👉 Why are giant corporations allowed to run flashy junk ads during cricket matches targeting children?

From a people’s perspective, every child deserves healthy, affordable meals. Instead of blaming parents or kids, the system should hold these billion-dollar food companies accountable.

Until then, the burden falls on families, especially working-class parents, who struggle daily to give their children a better life.

💬 What do you think? Should junk food be banned in schools? Or should the government tax ultra-processed snacks like it taxes cigarettes? Comment below!

#ChildhoodObesity #IndiaHealth #JunkFoodCrisis #UNICEFReport #FoodIndustry