New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- The Economic Survey 2025-26 has proposed aggressive fiscal measures to tackle the nation's growing health crisis, including moving ultra-processed foods into the highest GST tax slabs and imposing additional surcharges on products high in sugar, salt, and fat.

These suggestions come in the backdrop of an increasing burden of childhood obesity, with the prevalence in children under five rising from 2.1% in 2015-16 to 3.4% in recent years.

The survey presented on Thursday also recommended a potential marketing ban on ultra-processed foods between 6 am and 11 pm across all media platforms. It advocated for mandatory "front-of-pack" warning labels rather than complex star ratings, as studies show direct warnings are mo...