New Delhi, July 29 -- An overwhelming 67.57% of adolescents in India are influenced by ads when making their food choices, a large nationwide survey has found, amid a focus on child obesity as a major lifestyle-related health concern.

The survey of 143,000 adolescent respondents was conducted in 2022 as part of the Let's Fix Our Food initiative, a public-private partnership between the Public Health Foundation of India, the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Nutrition, and UNICEF.

The findings are currently undergoing peer review for publication in a scientific journal.

Unhealthy food advertising, often using celebrity endorsements and games, heavily influences young people's food choices, contributing to rising ...