Bhubaneswar, November 21: The UNICEF, hosted an Influencers meet at Bhubaneswar on Friday, bringing together leading celebrities—film actors, sports personalities, and singers—to commit their platforms to promoting healthy diets for children, adolescents, and families across the country.

The event provides a unique platform for influencers and celebrities to share their insights, personal experiences, and commitment to promoting healthier lifestyles among their followers. Participants discussed the growing challenges of poor diet quality, obesity, and unhealthy food choices, emphasizing the crucial need for collective action to support children’s well-being.

Addressing the event, Marie-Claude Desilets, Chief of the Nutrition Section, UNICEF, India, said, “Social media shapes how young people learn and choose what to eat. By joining hands with influencers, we have a unique opportunity to turn accurate, evidence-based nutrition messages into something relatable, engaging, and genuinely cool for Gen Z. Healthy diets don’t have to feel boring or complicated — they can be fun, creative, and aspirational.

“Together, we can cut through misinformation and spark a movement that champions healthier diets. The key is making healthy eating cool and aspirational for youth”, Desilets added.

Anu Chowdhury, an actress from the Odisha film industry, said, “We need to change the narrative: eating healthy is the ultimate performance enhancer and the real path to a joyful, energetic life. My generation of celebrities has a duty to make fruits and vegetables more 'viral' than processed snacks. I'm proud to stand with UNICEF to leverage our reach and create a nationwide movement for healthier food choices.”

Elina Samantray, another actress, stressed, “It's not enough to tell children, ‘Don’t eat junk.’ We must show them exciting, affordable, and easy alternatives using our local, traditional foods. Our goal should be to make these healthy options just as popular and desirable as any processed snack.”

“Celebrities and influencers have a powerful voice. Their reach and relatability can help transform how communities think about food, nutrition, and health,” said Sourav Bhattacharjee, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF, Bhubaneswar.

He added, “Together, we can create a movement that encourages every child to grow up healthy and strong.”

Building on this consensus, the influencers expressed strong enthusiasm for joining hands with UNICEF. They shared ideas on how they could use their platforms—through storytelling, awareness campaigns, social media content, community visits, and public endorsements—to motivate young people and families to adopt healthier diets and lifestyles.