Mexico is moving toward requiring warning labels on packaged foods and beverages—similar to those deployed on cigarettes—to alert consumers to high levels of sugar, fat and sodium as the country grapples with untenable public health costs.

In July, the health commission of the lower house of Congress approved a draft opinion that would amend the General Health Law to include pictograms such as stop signs or red, yellow and green traffic lights stamped onto the fronts of packaging. The proposal comes as Mexico attempts to combat the rising incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.