Experts: Sugary drinks could be causing 200,000 deaths a year worldwide

They linked the drinks to 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 44,000 from heart disease and 6,000 from cancer.

The vast majority – 78 per cent of the deaths – occurred in low and middle-income countries rather than rich countries.

Although a causal link cannot be proved, sugar-sweetened drinks are known to contribute to excess body weight which in turn increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.