Daily fizzy drink hikes diabetes risk 20%

GlaxoSmith Kline, a major manufacturer of anti-diabetes drugs, has decided to sell its Lucozade and Ribena brands — a move that coincides with the release of a major study that shows drinking one can of fizzy drinks a day increases the likelihood of contracting diabetes by 20%.

The company’s CEO, Andrew Witty, has said the brands don’t fit with either the company’s healthcare products business or its emerging-markets business.

Consultant endocrinologist Donal O’Shea highlighted the company’s conflict of interest on RTÉ radio and said that from a corporate brand perspective “based on this study, they will need to put a mark [or label] on products, at least for under 18s, as the consumption of these drinks in that age group is massive”.