V. Muraleedharan, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, stated on Wednesday that a campaign against fast food was necessary and that the rising rates of obesity in urban India were directly related to the consumption of it. The Minister was addressing the publication of a book by doctor and food activist Suresh Kumar titled Fast Food: The Lure And The Trap.

“A campaign to fight fast food cannot be an isolated campaign… it should be linked with lifestyle and living habits. People who consume fast food are moving towards a western-oriented lifestyle and their own culture and heritage is being left behind in doing so,” Mr. Muraleedharan said. He added that every part of India has its own cuisine based on climate and culture and there was a need to emphasise the importance of following traditional dietary habits.

Vandana Shiva, a proponent of food sovereignty and the environment, also attended the event and stated that the rise in fast food could have a negative effect on people's health.

In lab-produced food, more than 70% of the nutrition is lost, and chemicals that may be detrimental to consumers are added to fast food. She went on to say that the fast food sector is emulating neocolonialism and that its expansion has to be restricted.

The book discusses how Indians must resist the infiltration of fast food into our culture. It provides information on the effects of fast food on people's lives as well as advice on how to switch to better eating patterns.