A group of experts have on Thursday submitted that  Nigeria ranks 4th in the world for the highest consumers of Sugar Sweetened Beverages, SSBs, also known as soft drinks.

This was disclosed by Executive Director, Project PINK BLUE, Runcie Chidebe,  during the global week of action for non-communicable diseases with the theme: “Invest in NCDs today, save lives and money tomorrow,” in Abuja.

He said, “Nigeria is the world’s 4th highest consumer of SSBs commonly known as soft drinks. An estimated 38.6 million litres of soft drinks are sold in Nigeria annually. Of particular concern is overconsumption among adolescents as indicated in a study where 97 percent of the 1,000 respondents consumed at least 35cl of soft drink daily. A 35cl bottle may contain as much as nine cubes of sugar, while the WHO recommends that individuals should take less than 10 cubes per day.”

He added that those who consume drinks regularly stand a higher risk of diabetes.

“People who consume one or two drink a day have a 26 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely drink them. The consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages like soft drinks has been implicated in eleven cancers and there is strong evidence that being overweight or obese increases the risk of ten cancers: bowel (colorectal):