More than labels: health choices

For many years now, activists in India have been fighting an uphill battle: getting healthy foods on the plates of people, both adults and children. What are they up against? A steady stream of ultraprocessed food, food that is high in fat, sugar and sodium, labels that either do not warn consumers or do so in text that is not displayed prominently, misleading claims about the ‘health’ benefits of certain food, unfettered advertisements, and worst of all, food sold in India that is unhealthier compared to the same items sold abroad.What is at stake? The metabolic health of millions of Indians. We know that bad diets can contribute to obesity, which in turn can contribute to hypertension, diabetes and a host of other issues. This week, we look at developments in the diet and health sector, spurred by the Supreme Court’s criticism of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s food regulator, and what has followed.Battle against Big FoodThe FSSAI, long lambasted for allowing big food brands to get away with misleading advertisements, and for taking no action on warning labels on unhealthy foods, has now submitted a proposal in the Supreme Court for a front-of-pack pictorial warning label for food products high in any two or more “nutrients of concern”, reports Krishnadas Rajagopal. And while this a definite step forward, Bindu Shajan Perappadan interviews an activist who points out that the ‘two or more’ condition still leaves critical gaps in the framework.In recent weeks, the FSSAI has also begun a crackdown on claims: it has issued more than 150 notices to food companies over misleading advertisements, false claims and labelling violations. Nestlé India, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola India, Abbott India, Red Bull India, Danone India, Monster Energy India, Ferrero India and Kenvue are among companies named by the regulator. Bournvita maker Mondelez India Foods has now withdrawn health and nutrient-comparison claims, along with related advertisements from e-commerce platforms.Is Big Food taking this lying down? Not if you go by this Reuters report. Not only are they fighting against warning labels, they are selling products in India that are far more unhealthy than products sold elsewhere. Rishita Khanna discusses this in a podcast. Do give it a listen.And finally, dive into Dr. C. Aravinda and Dr. T.B. Pritish Basakaran’s story on FSSAI looking into liquor labels as well.Developments in cancerCancer is never quite out of the news is it? There’s good news and news that requires some reflection this week. In the good news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a groundbreaking new drug for advanced pancreatic cancer. The daily pills will be sold by Revolution Medicines under the brand name Rasonque. Also, following on last week’s news of an mRNA tumour vaccine that showed promising results in a melanoma trial, Dr. Harish P. delves into how tumour vaccines work, and if they could herald a revolution in cancer treatment.In other news, R. Sujatha, examines a new study on childhood cancer in India and speaks to experts about why, when many cancers in children have high cure rates, children in India still face barriers in accessing and adhering to treatment.For a quick explainer of what Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or CLL is, do read Shrabana Chatterjee’s piece.The Meta settlementOn August 26, social media giant, Meta, reached a settlement of up to $17.1 billion with at least 47 U.S. States, with certain conditions on how Meta should change its safety features on Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit alleged that Meta regularly collected data on children under the age of 13 without parental consent, and that the company deliberately designed platforms to be addictive. Joan Sony Cherian writes a detailed explainer on the suit and the settlement, while Sahana Venugopal explains the new safety features to be rolled out, and asks the crucial question of how effectively they can be enforced. We’ll have to wait and watch to see how this pans out.Mental health concernsStudents have been at the forefront of the news in India for weeks now. After decades of being told what to do and when to do it, students have now said enough: they want their concerns prioritised, and rightly so. IIT Delhi has been on the boil of late, following the death by suicide of a student, reports Ashna Butani. Academic pressure and inaccessible mental health services have been flagged, concerns that extend to the rest of India as well.The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru is attempting to bring in some of that accessibility, writes Afshan Yasmeen, with its anonymous peer-support platform, Let’s Talk Life, where young people can share their concerns and seek emotional support without fear of judgement.And in tech-related mental health news, Hemanth C.S. reports that scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research have developed a low-cost, user-friendly point-of-care diagnostic system for the detection of Alzheimer’s.And more:Biohacking is gaining popularity, but how safe is it? Read Ramya Kannan’s explainer on why a ‘peptide party’ was banned in BengaluruYour haemoglobin level may be normal, but could you still be iron deficient? Athira Elssa Johnson’s article explains how that may happen‘Fairness’ may not be the word used anymore, but the desire for skin lightening persists. Dr. Monisha Madhumita writes about how this quest could go wrongWhen do you actual need an MRI or CT scan for your back? Dr. S.R. Patil tells you, hereIn Keralam, C. Maya highlights the shortage of donor corneas as a major impediment to the State’s fight against corneal blindness.In Tamil Nadu, Meenakshy S. writes on the lack of genetic testing at government hospitals, which leaves parents of babies born with intersex traits reliant on expensive, private tests.Do watch our Health Wrap video of the week, explaining the science behind the ritual of fire walking!There is much more on offer too, do head to our health page and subscribe to the health newsletter here.