The man who turns fizzy drinks into big lollipops

When New Zealand-based artist Henry Hargreaves heard a health professional call soda "the cigarettes of our generation", he wanted to find a way to represent the risk visually.

The sugar in fizzy drinks is thought to be a major contribution to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease; a 22-year study found that just one can of sugary pop a day can increase your risk of a fatal heart attack by 20 per cent.

"I'd seen a series that was out there before which was a drink with a pile of sugar and to me it didn't really resonate," says Hargreaves.

"So I thought there was a much more powerful way of doing this."

He decided to show what happens after the water in a drink is boiled away. Once boiled, he then took the remaining substance, a mixture of sugar, colouring and other byproducts, and poured it into a silicon lollipop mould.

"I thought lollipops were the perfect fit because to me that's what a soft drink is; it's kind of a lollipop dressed up as a soda, or a kind of adult lollipop.

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