The World Health Organization, or WHO, has said that it supports a proposal to create a special tax of 20 percent on the production and service of sugary soft drinks, in an effort to reduce the consumption of these drinks in Mexico.

According to figures from WHO, Mexicans consume an average of 43 gallons of soda each year, 12 gallons more than US citizens, ranking it as the worldwide leader in the consumption of these drinks.

Maureen Birmingham - the Pan American Health Organization, or PAHO, representative in Mexico - said in a press conference that the proposed tax "is very logical based on the evidence. It's not just a law to save lives, but also to alleviate poverty, because these diseases related to obesity and being overweight, are causing poverty."

PAHO and WHO, together with the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) and various other social organizations supports the tax on these drinks, and have warned that the consumption of the sugary drinks are the main cause of obesity in Mexico.

According to figures produced by the INSP the 20 percent tax would result in a 26 percent reduction in the consumption of these drinks and also generate $2.3 billion a year - revenue to help cover the cost of damages to Mexicans' health caused by obesity.