According to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, sugary drinks account for 180,000 deaths globally each year.
By releasing these findings, researchers hope beverage makers take notice and and reduce the amounts of sugar added.
Sugar-laden drinks are the major factor behind the rising rates of obesity and diabetes in people. Countries in the Caribbean and Latin America reported the maximum number of deaths due to diabetes in people who consumed sugar drinks. Government statistics also show that two thirds or all Americans and one in every three American children are obese or over-weight due to the consumption of these sugary drinks. In 2010, 25,000 deaths were reported due to diabetes and other over-weight health hazards.
"The data is clear," Harvard's Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian said. "Too much soda consumption is killing people."
Mozaffarian hopes that policy makers will take note of the staggering number of deaths and regulate the beverage industry accordingly.
In New York, a debate led to the banning of sales of cans containing more than 16 ounces of sugary drinks. The ban was supposed to go into effect this month, but a sudden ruling by a Supreme Court Justice blocked the ban.
"Our data really provides an impetus for policy makers to make changes when they see tens of thousands of deaths are due to this beverage consumption," said Gitanjali Singh of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Through the study, researchers found the overconsumption of sugary drinks caused 44,000 deaths annually from heart disease and stroke, 133,000 deaths linked to diabetes and 6,000 cancer deaths worldwide.
"People who drink this 'liquid candy' do not feel as full as if they have eaten the same calories from solid food and do not compensate by eating less," the report read.
Similar studies have been conducted in the past but beverage makers seem to pay no heed to these warning messages and continue spending millions on advertising their products.
