In an eye-opening 2024 study of more than 100,000 people, Pacheco found that those who exercised regularly and consumed just two sugary beverages per week had a 15% higher risk of heart disease than active folks who abstained from sugary drinks. Participants who drank two sugary drinks per week and did not exercise were at even greater risk: nearly 50% more likely to develop heart disease.
But many have remained. Unilever Plc and Nestlé SA, with large production facilities there, were reluctant to sell at the massive discount the Kremlin demanded as an exit tax. Danish brewer Carlsberg AS and yogurt giant Danone SA saw their assets seized as they sought to leave, though Danone eventually negotiated a sale to a company the government favored. French supermarket operator Auchan, clothing retailer Benetton Group and restaurant chains Subway and TGI Fridays continue operating in Russia with no apparent plans to cut back.