New Study Says Children Not Drinking Enough Water

New Study Says Children Not Drinking Enough Water
written by Rachel Bartholomew Dip ION MBANT 

 

News headlines this week on how little water children drink on a regular basis serve as a stark reminder to encourage children to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

 

In the study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the City University of New York and the U.S. National Cancer Institute looked at the water intake of 3,978 boys and girls aged between 2 and 19 years.  They included in their analysis, plain water, water in moist foods and water in all beverages and drinks including milk and juice.

 

They found that only 15 – 60% of boys and 10 – 54% of girls actually drink the minimum amount of water as recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine.  In general, girls drank less than boys.

 

Lead researchers, Ashima K. Kant and Barry I. Graubard commented,

“Efforts to moderate the consumption of sweetened beverages and promote plain water intake should not only continue to promote plain water for snacks but also should recognise the importance of replacing non-nutritive beverages at meal time with plain water.”

 

The researchers also found that most of the children’s fluid intake was from sweetened drinks rather than just plain water.  Another interesting discovery from the study was that those children who drank the most plain water, also consumed fewer sweetened drinks and less high-calorie foods.

 

Clinical Nutrition co-ordinator at the Centre for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn, Samantha Heller said,

“Even mild dehydration can affect physiological function, and cause fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches and dry mouth.  Impaired cognitive and mental performance are also linked to inadequate hydration.”

 

“Water makes up 55 to 75% of total body weight.  We cannot live without water for more than a few days because our bodies cannot store water.  Thus it is essential we replace the water our bodies lose every day”.

Nutri Comment!
Whilst this study has been carried out in America, it is likely that the situation in the UK is not hugely different; especially given that children are bombarded with many different advertising campaigns on a daily basis to encourage them to drink anything and everything except plain water.  Fizzy drinks and brightly coloured fruit cordials are heavily marketed at our kids and unfortunately, while the big companies prosper, it is our childrens’ health that suffers.

 

Water is absolutely essential for all aspects of good health at any age.  It makes up about two-thirds of our body weight, and it’s important for this to be maintained because most of the chemical reactions that happen in our cells need water.  Water is an essential component of blood and is essential for our blood to be able to carry nutrients around the body.

On average, someone would have to lose 10% of their body weight in fluids to be considered dehydrated, but as little as 2% can affect athletic performance, cause tiredness and dull critical thinking abilities.  

 

Just some of the many benefits of drinking plenty of water include:

• Essential for growth
• Healthy hair, skin, eyes and nails
• Helping to maintain a healthy weight
• More consistent energy levels
• Waste elimination – water is important for helping to prevent constipation
• Gastrointestinal function – water can help to improve gut problems such as IBS
• Improves athletic performance
• Brain function – better concentration, mood and memory
• Preventing and lessening the severity of colds and flu
• Keeping joints well lubricated
• Improved urinary function and reduced risk of kidney stones

It is vitally important to encourage children to drink plenty of water.  Children should aim to drink at least four to six glasses daily for optimal health requirements.  If children are used to drinking more sugary, fizzy alternatives it may a difficult transition at first to get them to start drinking plain water on a regular basis.  Here’s a few ideas that may help:

• Plain water with a dash of pure fruit juice can be a refreshing drink that is still healthy and yet may be more appealing to younger children
• Make sure your children always have a bottle of water with them wherever they go.  Many schools now encourage children to bring a water bottle into school each day. 
• Get your child involved in choosing a water container that they would like to carry with them, your child can still have an attractive looking container that is filled with plain water.
• Make water more interesting by adding fun shaped ice cubes, a slice of orange, strawberry or cucumber.  Fun straws can help too!
• Fruits with a high amount of water in them such as watermelon, grapes and oranges can be another good way to increase your child’s daily intake of water

Sources:
Kant, A.K. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010; vol 92: pp. 887 - 896