The World Health Organization released a report Tuesday in honor of World Obesity Day, stating governments should place a tax on sugary drinks to reduce obesity and diabetes rates, reports Reuters.
In the report "Fiscal Policies for Diet and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases," the WHO said a 20 percent price increase on these drinks could lower consumption of the sugar-filled beverages by the same proportion.
"Smart policies can help to turn the tides on this deadly epidemic, especially those aimed at reducing consumption of sugary drinks, which is fuelling obesity rates," Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City and a WHO ambassador for noncommunicable diseases, said in a statement.
Members of the U.S. soft drink industry, including Coca-Cola, Pepsico and Red Bull, strongly disagreed with the WHO's stance on what they referred to as "discrimatory taxation."
"[The soft drink tax] is an unproven idea that has not been shown to improve public health based on global experiences to date," Washington, D.C.-based International Council of Beverages Associations said in a statement.
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