The beverage industry is abuzz with the latest soda news in which the "Big 3" — Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group — have announced their intention to cut down on excess sugar and calories in their drinks. Their pledge is to reduce each American's average calorie consumption in sugary drinks by 20 percent by 2025. Not an easy task, but it is definitely a step forward in the right direction.

They made this unanimous commitment Sept. 23 at the 10th annual Clinton Global Initiative, which aims to find "innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges." Obesity is definitely a pressing challenge as are the numerous health conditions that are directly linked to this rising epidemic, like diabetes and various coronary diseases.

This is not the first time that soda news has gripped us and probably won't be the last since these drinks constitute an important part of daily American intake. Back in 2012, we had the furor of New York's big-soda ban, which was proposed by former mayor Michael Bloomberg. The goal of the legislation was to prohibit the sale of soft drinks larger than 16 ounces in volume.

The regulation was set to go into effect in March 2013, but it was tied up in the courts for more than a year and ultimately rejected by the New York Court of Appeals on June 26, 2014. The court's decision was colored by the fact that the ban was autocratic and the decision to have or not have sodas should ultimately lie with the consumers themselves.

For the $76 billion U.S. soft drink industry, the ban would have been bad news. While they heaved a sigh of relief, they probably couldn't negate the root cause of the whole debate — consumption of sugary drinks leads to obesity, and consumers are growing more aware of that every day. The industry is also focused on preventing a new tax on sugary drinks from coming into effect this November in San Francisco.

Perhaps these regulations have served as a wake-up call for the Big 3, hence their pledge to cut down on sugar and calories in their products. Their decision is a direct acknowledgment of how their products are intrinsically responsible for the obesity epidemic and rising crisis of diabetes and other conditions that stem from it.

Along with controlling the percentage of sugar in their existing products, these soda giants have also announced that they will be focusing on newer ones, like no-calorie or low-calorie drinks, and drinks sold in smaller portions. They will use their reach and promotional skills to spread awareness among consumers and educate them in healthier options.

This is a big milestone for consumers, not just in America but the world over. Though the consumption of sodas is particularly high here, the rest of the world is not too far behind. The reduction of obesity will ultimately depend on whether consumers want to lead a healthier life, but these efforts by the soda manufacturers will also go a long way to promote good health.

Serious attention must be paid to the ingestion of high-fructose corn syrup, which is used to sweeten a lot of processed foods and soft drinks. Metabolized chiefly in the liver, a large percentage of this fructose gets transformed into fatty acids and remains there, leading to various serious liver conditions.

The rest of those fatty acids go into the bloodstream to cause insulin resistance and high levels of sugar in the blood, which means Type 2 diabetes, obesity and various metabolic disorders. Those who lead an active lifestyle may have lower risk ratios, but sedentary lifestyles rule our population, which means serious efforts from industry and policymakers are also needed.

The announcement to cut down sugar and calories came in the wake of the agreement between the American Beverage Association and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which has been founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, focused on improving the health of children. According to CDC reports, the percentage of obese 6-to-11-year-olds in the U.S. has leaped by more 10 percent (from 7 percent in 1980 to 18 percent in 2012), and sugary drinks are a big reason for this scary figure.

With these disturbing statistics, it seems like the alliance and the subsequent soda pledge should have happened much earlier. But it is better late than never to do anything about the epidemic. With the soda giants using their resources for the cause, change is definitely coming.