Adults and children must cut amount of sugar they consume every day in fizzy drinks and sweet foods to lower their risk of obesity and tooth decay, the World Health Organization said.

People should reduce the amount to less than 10 percent of their daily energy intake — about 50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar for adults which is about half the current rate in North and South America, experts at the U.N. body told Reuters.

A cut to less than 5 percent would be even better, they added.

“We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10 percent of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay,” Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, said in a statement.

Written by Stephanie Nebehay for Business Insider, March 4, 2015.

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