Enrique Peña Nieto during a visit to Brazil in 2012.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (Time 100, ’13) wants to slim down the collective waistline of the fattest country in the world. Nieto is proposing a soda tax of one peso per liter; the money raised would be used to install water fountains in schools. Congress is scheduled to vote on the tax this week. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg (Time 100, ’07 &’08) has backed similar campaigns against soft drinks. His charity, Bloomberg Philanthropies, is supporting groups in Mexico pushing for the tax.
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