Everyone knows that junk food is injurious to health, but still, who among us can resist that juicy burger or that refreshing cola? The ads make them look so tempting too. But it is those same ads that might actually be the problem. German researchers at the Max Planck Institute say those glossy pictures of junk food trigger hormones that make the viewer hungry and this may be the cause of increasing obesity.
This once again puts the focus on what health specialists in many countries have been trying to do: restrict certain kinds of junk food ads. In Canada, recent surveys have shown support for an outright ban on ads of products with high sugar, high fat or high salt content. A bit drastic, perhaps, but with child obesity becoming a growing problem, the day may not be far off when burger packets will carry warnings saying “Junk food can be injurious to your health”. Europe has imposed heavy taxes on such products and have even stopped their sale in schools.
Packaged and processed junk food is relatively new in India, but we are catching up fast. Colas, with their extremely high sugar content, are now drunk even by very young children, and the popularity of burgers, chips and the like is growing. An educational campaign that can offset some of the glamour of junk food ads can be one step towards making people aware of what exactly they are consuming and what the effects can be.