Drinking Water Availability in Schools Reshapes Obesity Rate Among Students

A newly published research shows that water dispensers stationed in school cafeterias can benefit the students. The availability of water for drinking results to a decreasing number of overweight children.

Childhood obesity peaks its statistics in the U.S. Hence, the numbers of children that are obese are twice the number of adults that suffer from the same situation according to Medical News Today. Researchers from New York University School of Medicine noted that water can serve as an alternative for sugar-sweetened beverages which children usually prefer to drink -- leading them closer to obesity.

The data for the study were collected among 1,200 elementary and middle schools in New York, having almost one million students altogether. As posted on Get Healthy, they distinguished that 483 schools had water dispensers in their cafeterias while 744 did not. After analyzing the data, results showed that there is a 0.9 percent decrease among overweight for boys and 0.6 percent decrease for girls.

"This study demonstrates a number of important but fundamentally simple principles," said American College of Lifestyle Medicine president and Yale University Prevention Research Cente director, Dr. David Katz. "First, water is usually the best choice for us when thirsty. Second, the choices we make are limited to the choices we have. Give kids easy, convenient access to cold water and they drink more of it." He also concluded that everyone must think of better ways to "build the obvious solution to solve a problem."

More so, the senior author of the study, Brian Elbel, optimistically claimed that the research they conducted only proved that simple solutions may be the most effective. For one, by simply providing free and readily available drinking water to students, the school administrators and parents can do wonders in the weight management aspect of the students' health -- as posted on the Regal Tribune.

Elbel also suggested that making water available at home can also help kids lose weight and became healthier.