Catch Them Young: School Programmes Can Cut Junk Food Intake By 1,000 Calories A Day, Study Finds

Targeting unhealthy eating habits early could be one of India’s most effective weapons against the growing epidemic of obesity and lifestyle diseases, according to a new Indian study that shows school-based behavioural programmes can dramatically reduce junk food consumption among adolescents.

The study, led by researchers from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, found that structured nutrition education and behaviour-change interventions delivered within schools reduced daily consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) by more than 1,000 calories among students — a striking shift in dietary behaviour over just six months.

The findings, published in BMJ Global Health, come at a time when India is grappling with a rapid rise in childhood and adolescent obesity, fuelled by easy access to packaged snacks, fast food, sugary beverages and aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods.

“This study demonstrates the potential of school-based behavioural interventions to reduce ultra-processed food consumption among Indian adolescents, addressing a critical gap in public health practice in low- and middle-income countries,” the researchers noted. The study involved collaboration with experts from Imperial College London and the Public Health Foundation of India.

The researchers conducted a cluster-randomised controlled trial across 12 government schools in Chandigarh, involving students from Class 8 and their parents. Over a six-month period, participating adolescents attended 11 structured classroom sessions focused on nutrition literacy, food labelling, decision-making skills and behaviour change. Parents were included through a single targeted educational session aimed at improving food choices and environments at home.

The results were clear and consistent. Students who underwent the programme consumed over 1,000 fewer calories per day from ultra-processed foods, including packaged snacks, sugary drinks and fast food. In addition, intake of other processed foods dropped by around 270 calories per day, signalling a broader move away from unhealthy dietary patterns.

Public health experts say such reductions, if sustained, could significantly lower long-term risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

However, the study also highlighted an important challenge. While junk food intake fell sharply, there was no corresponding increase in fruit consumption or home-cooked meals.

“This suggests that reducing unhealthy consumption is easier than building healthy eating habits, and the two require different strategies,” the researchers observed.

One striking finding was that adult dietary habits showed little change despite parental involvement, underscoring the unique influence schools have on shaping adolescent behaviour.

“Schools emerge as powerful platforms for influencing dietary behaviour during a formative stage of life,” the researchers said, noting that adolescence is a critical window when food preferences and habits become entrenched.

Dr. Parmeet Kaur, Chief Dietician at AIIMS Delhi, who was not part of the study, emphasised that schools play a critical role in shaping food choices early in life and must actively promote healthy, home-style eating among students.

“Children should be encouraged to consume freshly prepared foods and real foods like fruits and nuts rather than relying on packaged or ultra-processed items high in salt, sugar and unhealthy fats,” Dr. Kaur said, adding that awareness around FSSAI warnings on high-salt and high-fat foods should be integrated into school education.

She also stressed the importance of nutrition counselling that goes beyond simply listing ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. “Students need to be taught mindful eating — understanding hunger and satiety cues, avoiding distracted eating, and recognising emotional or stress-related eating patterns,” she said.

“Healthy eating is not about restriction. It is about balance, variety and sustainability,” she explained.

She also cautioned against a one-size-fits-all approach to health. “Nutrition and physical activity recommendations must be individualised. Children differ in their growth patterns, metabolic needs and activity levels. Schools must ensure adequate opportunities for movement and play, while also addressing academic and social stress that can drive emotional eating. Psychological support is essential to prevent unhealthy coping behaviours,” said Dr. Kaur.

The study findings also resonate with what some schools on the ground are beginning to implement, translating research into practice.

Dr. Vikas Pant, Vice Principal, St. Johns Convent Senior Secondary Public School, Delhi, said his school has already initiated measures to counter unhealthy food choices and misleading marketing targeted at children. “To protect our students from misleading marketing, we have launched school campaigns like label padhega India and don’t judge a food by its cover. By uncovering the truth behind the packaging, we are teaching children that awareness is survival. We believe these small steps will help India become not just the world’s fastest economy, but its healthiest nation,” he said.

According to UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Global Report 2025, launched recently, obesity has, for the first time, surpassed underweight globally, including in India, as the most common form of malnutrition among school-aged children and adolescents. Today, one in ten children worldwide — nearly 188 million — live with obesity. Once considered a condition of affluence, obesity is now spreading rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, including India.