Spring is here. Health experts say those hoping to shed some pounds before hitting the beach should start now.

News 12’s Elizabeth Hashagen was joined by Dr Deena Gupta-Adimoolam, primary care specialist and endocrinologist.

A new study says that added sugars could lead to about 45 sicknesses, including risk of a heart attack.

The new study published Wednesday in the journal BMJ, the researchers from the U.S. and China found that added sugars are associated with significantly higher risks of many sicknesses. Added sugars are found in foods like syrups, honey, fruit juice, vegetable juice and purees.

The sicknesses include diabetes, gout, obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, cancer, asthma, tooth decay, depression and early death.

For the study, scientists looked at a large review of 73 meta-analyses, which included more than 8,000 studies. 

The report says that participants with the highest consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages had higher body weight than those with the lowest intake. It says people should limit free sugar intake to about six teaspoons per day.

Meanwhile, as the weather gets warmer -- ticks get more active. There is an emerging tickborne disease called babesiosis usually caused by a parasite, says Dr. Bobbi Pritt of the Mayo Clinic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there was a significant rise in the number of cases reported in the United States between 2011 and 2019, primarily in the Northeast and Midwest.