WASHINGTON - The White House turned up the pressure this week on the restaurant and beverage industries by unveiling a new report on childhood obesity, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The report hailed the virtues of a tax on sugary sodas and also recommended extensive menu makeovers for QSRs, along with more stringent labeling requirements for food manufacturers.

The report found that a tax on sugary drinks and fatty foods would discourage consumption while generating revenue to fund obesity-fighting programs.

Beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, have worked to defeat taxes on carbonated soft drinks and avoided a federal version in the health-care bill passed earlier this year. But the report again raised the prospect of new taxes, pointing to the impact of tobacco taxes as evidence that steeper taxes can modify consumption behavior.

It also called on health-care providers to discourage "unhealthy behaviors," specifically eating high-calorie food and drinking sugar beverages.

"Calling intake of sugar sweetened beverages 'unhealthy' is outrageous and nonsensical," said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest. "They are perfectly healthy when consumed in moderation."

The American Beverage Association said its members have already agreed to refrain from marketing their beverages ?" with the exception of water, milk and juice ?" to children under 12.