SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Australias biggest soft drink makers, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, pledged on Monday (June 25) to cut industry-wide sugar use by a fifth over seven years to curb obesity in a country where nearly a third of the population is dangerously fat.

Companies will aim for a 10 per cent reduction in total sugar per 100 millilitres in their drinks by 2020 and a 20 per cent reduction by 2025, achieved via a combination of recipe modification and increasing sales of low-sugar beverages.

The WHO said last year drinking fewer sweet drinks was the best way to curb excessive weight and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, although fat and salt in processed foods were also to blame.