NEW DELHI: Instant noodles, chips, biscuits, packaged drinks and even “healthy” cereals — these ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have quietly become everyday staples in Indian homes. But a new three-paper Lancet Series warns that these factory-made, additive-loaded products are helping drive a global rise in obesity and diabetes — a trend already unfolding rapidly in India.The Series brings together global evidence, including a review of 104 studies, of which 92 linked UPF-heavy diets to chronic diseases. Meta-analyses of 15 health outcomes showed significant associations for 12, including type 2 diabetes, obesity and even depression. India has not conducted such studies, and therefore no Indian data could be included — a gap experts say the country can no longer ignore.For India, the findings demand urgent policy action, says Dr. Vandana Prasad, community paediatrician and technical advisor at Public Health Resource Society. She argues that UPFs cannot be regulated like ordinary junk food. “Companies reduce salt or sugar to dodge High in Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) limits, but the product remains ultra-processed because the additives stay,” she says. She calls for a clear legal definition of UPFs, strong front-of-pack warning labels, advertising restrictions, a UPF tax and subsidies for fresh foods, emphasising that healthy eating cannot depend on willpower alone when the entire food environment is engineered for overconsumption.Adding to this, Dr. Arun Gupta, paediatrician and Series co-author, says India is in the middle of the very shift the Lancet warns against — traditional meals being rapidly replaced by industrial UPFs promoted aggressively, especially to children. With no national data on UPF consumption, he cautions that India will struggle to slow rising obesity and diabetes unless it directly addresses the spread and marketing of such products.The scale of India’s health burden makes the warning even more urgent. The ICMR–INDIAB-17 (2023) study reports obesity in 28.6% of Indians, diabetes in 11.4%, prediabetes in 15.3%, and abdominal obesity in nearly 40%. Childhood obesity has increased as well — from 2.1% to 3.4% between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5.Prof K. Srinath Reddy, Chancellor, PHFI University of Public Health Sciences, notes that UPFs do more than add empty calories. By displacing natural foods, they can weaken immunity, heighten inflammation and worsen chronic disease risk. He supports strict regulation across production and marketing, clear ingredient disclosures, strong front-of-pack warning labels and a ban on celebrity endorsements of UPFs.With UPFs now deeply embedded in Indian diets — from school tiffins to office snacks to rural shops — experts warn that India stands at a critical juncture. The new Lancet evidence sends a clear message: reining in ultra-processed foods must become a national health priority if India hopes to contain rising obesity and diabetes.