GENEVA – To combat obesity worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) this week issued a new report suggesting that an increase of at least 20% in the retail price of sugary drinks would reduce consumption. The report also says that subsidies used to reduce retail prices of fresh fruits and vegetables by 10%–30% would increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables.

“Consumption of free sugars, including products like sugary drinks, is a major factor in the global increase of people suffering from obesity and diabetes,” says Dr. Douglas Bettcher of the WHO. “If governments tax products like sugary drinks, they can reduce suffering and save lives. They can also cut health care costs and increase revenues to invest in health services.”

Dr. Francesco Branca of the WHO said in a statement that sugary drinks are a major source of unnecessary calories, recommending that people should only drink one serving (about 8 ounces) a day.

The New York Times writes that the WHO has previously recommended that countries impose a tax on sugary drinks to reduce obesity rates. This week’s report culminates the work of a panel of experts the WHO convened in mid-2015, who reviewed scientific literature that included mathematical modeling and studies of actual taxes applied in countries.

WHO spokesperson Paul Garwood commented that South Africa and Britain are considering such taxes, while Mexico passed a sugary-drink tax in 2013 and Hungary imposed a tax on packaged products with high sugars, salt or caffeine levels. In the United States, the Times writes that New York City struck down a soda tax in the courts, although Philadelphia and Berkeley, California, have been successful at carrying out such policies.