A committee set up by the Centre to look into growing health problems among school going children has recommended that vendors should be barred from selling junk food during school hours in a vicinity of 200 metres of a school. The committee has further suggested that the shops selling junk food should not be allowed to sell food items to students in uniform. The committee, constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) to look into the issues related to growing problems of obesity in children and its relationship with consumption of junk food, submitted its report earlier this week. The committee warned of a direct correlation between regular consumption of junk food and obesity in children. In June last year, the Ministry had first announced its intentions of banning the sale of junk food in school canteens and barring vendors from selling such food in the school vicinity. The Ministry had also sought suggestions from experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and National Institute of Nutrition. Formed under the chairmanship of Director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, the committee has expressed concern about the increasing incidence of obesity in children. It has also put the spot light on related physiological issues including diabetes, and hypertension. The committee has also outlined the details of consequences of junk food on children. In the report, they have said that regular intake of junk food lead to increasing psychological and behavioural dysfunctionalities in children including binge-eating, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, depression, and mental stress. Besides providing a comprehensive definition of junk food in the context of children, the panel has also drawn up a list of food items falling in the definition of junk food, which should be banned in the school. The committee has comprehensively reviewed the prevalent practices of regulation of junk food in 23 countries across the world and has also examined the legislative/institutional framework available in India. “We are in the process of examining the report. It’s only after consultations that we will reach a definite conclusion on its implementation,” said an official from the Ministry. “We still have to decide whether we will need the help of a law or a set of guidelines to implement the suggestions. It will depend on the consultations, which will follow,” he said. The committee included representatives from Niti Ayog, Ministries of Health and HRD, Bureau of Indian Standards, FSSAI, National Institute of Public Cooperation & Child Development, ICMR and independent experts in the field of nutrition and clinical psychology/ behavioural science.