Kids and Water
If you thought it was hard to get your kids to drink water, you’re not alone. Parents are very well aware of the need for children to drink plenty of water daily, but getting kids to do so can be very difficult. So difficult, in fact, that 20 percent of children don’t drink any water at all, according to a recent study.
The study, by Asher Rosinger, PhD, director of the Water, Health and Nutrition Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, surveyed what kids ate and drank over a single day.
His study, published in JAMA Pediatrics in April 2019, analyzed 8,400 children and young adults in the U.S.
The study also found that those kids who didn’t drink any water at all were much more likely to drink high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverages instead. So not only were these children missing out on the benefits of pure water in their diet, they were slaking their thirst with high calorie, sugary beverages instead.
“Those kids that did not drink any plain water consumed almost twice as many calories as kids that consumed water. That is when they would drink more than 10% of their daily calories from sugary drinks,” Rosinger told WebMD. Rosinger discovered that this meant that they were consuming more calories which can contribute to obesity.
“The association indicates that when kids drink water on a given day, their caloric intake from sugary drinks is half that of kids who don’t drink water,” Rosinger also told WebMD. “So the recommendation that is very important for parents and pediatricians is that water should be the first beverage offered. If kids are consuming water, they get hydration from that instead of less healthy sources.” (You can read the entire WebMD article here.)
Kids can be very fussy about the taste and smell of water. Iron, chlorine, sulfur and bacteria occur in well water and city water and all can create a taste and odor that is a turnoff to kids. We suggest getting your home’s water tested (which Glaser can do for you), and then look at installing a home water treatment system that can create water that is delicious and healthy. If you’re in Tipp City, stop by our store for a sample so you can taste the difference yourself.
