Now Reading: India’s exclusive breastfeeding rate drops sharply; states ban junk food in schools
-
01
India’s exclusive breastfeeding rate drops sharply; states ban junk food in schools
India’s exclusive breastfeeding rate drops sharply; states ban junk food in schools
Exclusive breastfeeding in India has fallen from 63.7% in the National Family Health Survey-5 to 55.8% in NFHS-6, The Hindu reports. The decline comes as World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) highlights the…
The Story in Brief
Exclusive breastfeeding in India has fallen from 63.7% in the National Family Health Survey-5 to 55.8% in NFHS-6, The Hindu reports. The decline comes as World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) highlights the need for better support for mothers, including at hospitals, homes and workplaces. A spike in C-section deliveries, which delays breastfeeding initiation, may have contributed.
Meanwhile, Karnataka and Maharashtra have banned the sale and promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in and around schools. The move aims to curb childhood obesity and diabetes. A separate study found prediabetes and obesity among Chennai adolescents rose sharply between 2006 and 2023.
The Indian Opinion
The breastfeeding drop is often blamed on mothers, but the real failure is systemic: poor workplace support, insufficient lactation counselling, and rising C-sections. The junk food ban is welcome, but without a tax on HFSS products or strict enforcement, it may remain symbolic. The test will be whether state governments actually monitor compliance and whether the Centre follows with a national policy on sugar and fat taxation.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, thehindu.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
