We all know that soft drinks are full of refined sugar and do nothing to help your health. They give you that little bit of a pep when you need it, but leave you landing flat soon after. To add to this, nearly all non-biased experimental studies have established a direct link between excess consumption of sugary drinks and obesity and/or diabetes.
That being said, there is still some research out there that sticks up for the beverage industry and suggests that it is not quite as bad as people are making out. However, a recent review of this research, has found that every single experimental study which has found no link between sugary drinks and obesity or diabetes, has received some level of financial support from the beverage industry.