We are constantly hearing about vitamins and nutrients our kids need on a regular basis. They need more exercise and less sugar. Up until now we haven’t heard much about this one thing most US kids are not getting enough of.
Harvard University researchers believe U.S. kids aren’t drinking enough water. This doesn’t just impact their physical health, but their quality of life. The lead author, Erica Kenney, stated: “These findings are significant because they highlight a potential health issue that has not been given a whole lot of attention in the past…Even though for most of these kids this is not an immediate, dramatic health threat, this is an issue that could really be reducing quality of life and well-being for many, many children and youth.”
Children who are even just a little bit dehydrated suffer from reduced cognitive and emotional functions. It can also impact their moods and ability to concentrate. The study followed more than 4,000 children between the ages of 6 and 19 years of age. Boys were more likely to be dehydrated than girls. Surprisingly, about 25 percent of the kids said they did not drink plain water at all during a regular day.
Another researcher, Steven Gortmaker, stated that this is an easy fix. “If we can focus on helping children drink more water — a low-cost, no-calorie beverage — we can improve their hydration status, which may allow many children to feel better throughout the day and do better in school.”
If you start your kids early on water, they’ll choose it more as they grow older. When my kids were younger we never did juice. We only allowed water in sippy cups and only water with meals. I saw a noted difference as they grew older compared with kids who were given juice and milk as toddlers. It worked for us because now that they are 9 and 12 they choose water first. It helps that we don’t do sodas and only buy juice occasionally.
How do you get your kids to drink water?
