Sixteen cubes of sugar-that's what a 600 ml bottle of your favorite soft drink contains, packs of sugar just waiting to settle on your hips, thighs, and arteries and propel you to a future battling diabetes and obesity, for starters.

This is the reason behind the tax on soft drinks that Australian health organizations Diabetes Australia, the Cancer Council, and the National Heart Foundation are fighting for.

According to The Australian, the Rethink Sugary Drinks campaign, launched today, kicked off with a TV ad adapted from a similar New York campaign. It warns Aussies on the hazards of a sugary beverage-laden diet.

Along with the TV ads, Rethink Sugary Drinks is also pushing for less exposure of children to media advertising on soft drinks, as well as potential sales and availability of the sugary products, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

Overweight and obesity in Australian children has always been a rampant problem. The Border Mail showed reports of 25% of children aged two to 16 being regular consumers of sugar-sweetened drinks.

"You are really just getting a vehicle for the delivery of sugar without any nutritional benefit whatsoever," said the Chairman of the Public Health Committee at Cancer Council Australia Craig Sinclair.

Sugar-sweetened drinks can partly be blamed for cases of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

"What many people don't realize is just the sheer amount of sugar that is in a regular can of soft drink, and now the default purchase is not 375 mls in a can, it is 600 mls. And in 600 mls alone, there is 16 teaspoons of sugar," said Sinclair in an interview with ABC News.

Sugary drinks can include artificial fruit juices, sports drinks, and the fizzy soft drinks that most Aussies have incorporated in their daily diet. One solution that Rethink Sugary Drinks urges is to switch from soft drinks to the healthier choice, such as water, milk, or natural fruit juices, for those who still have to deal with the sweet tooth.