Should junk food be banned? ~ Group Discussion Ideas

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Theme:

Indian government launched ‘Mission Poshan 2.0‘ recently to strengthen nutritional outcomes. On the other hand, several people are becoming obese due to consuming too much junk food.
‘The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’ brought ‘Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and healthy diets for Schoolchildren) regulations‘, 2019 to stop sales of junk food inside schools and within 50 meters of school campuses. But still, the consumption of junk food is high. So, there is a debate on whether junk food should be totally banned.

Yes – Junk food should be banned:

Junk food is not good for health. In general, junk foods are highly processed foods and contains more calories and fewer nutrients when compared with healthy food. Eating too much junk food causes obesity. And obesity leads to several health problems such as heart diseases, digestion issues etc.
It also affects mental health. As junk food slows down metabolism, it makes us lazy and thereby causes stress and anxiety.
Junk food is addictive in nature, which leads to increased consumption of junk food, once we get used to it. So, even if we want to eat it in moderation, it may not be possible for many of us.
Ban on junk food forces food companies to manufacture healthy snacks and thereby we can promote healthy eating.
UK banned advertising of junk food online and till 9 pm on TV. This step was taken to mitigate the influence of advertising on children’s food habits. World Health Assembly too reiterated the importance of regulating the marketing of unhealthy foods.
These days, due to the changing nature of jobs many people are doing desk jobs and following a sedentary lifestyle. On top of it, consuming junk food is very risky.

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No – Junk food should not be banned:

Banning junk food is against the right to choice of food.
If we eat junk food in limited qualities, it won’t be much problem. Health problems arise when we take too much junk food. So, junk food itself is not the problem, but limiting the intake is the key.
Not everyone agrees on what is junk food and what is not. Even some junk food products are marketed as healthy snacks. So, banning junk food is not a practical solution.

Conclusion:

Banning junk food completely may be against the right to choice of food. Eating in moderation may not affect health. But taking steps to not allowing junk food companies to mislead children is a good thing. Banning junk food near schools is a great step towards that goal. Incentivising healthy food intake will encourage children and also adults to eat healthily.

Your Turn…

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