Obesity is becoming a global problem, including in children, and many parents are therefore asking how they can prevent their children from becoming obese.
This fits right into the age-old debate of nature versus nurture.
Even though nature dictates that every living thing needs water to survive, most of us humans do not drink sufficient water on a daily basis to enable our bodies to do what they should to keep us healthy and fit.
How Can Water Prevent My Children from Becoming Obese?
Many studies have been undertaken worldwide into the tendency to obesity in children because of the fact that obesity in children can lead to so many health problems, if not during their childhood, definitely later on in life.
Obesity puts children at risk for heart problems, as confirmed in a study conducted in 2008, which showed that “children who are obese have carotid arteries which have prematurely aged by as much as thirty years as well as abnormal levels of cholesterol.“
Childhood obesity can also lead to sleep problems, diabetes, skin infections, asthma, high blood pressure, liver disease, and heart disease; eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and even cancer
A study undertaken in Germany and published in the journal Paediatrics shows that installing water fountains in schools has a direct impact on childhood obesity rates.
The study was run over one school year with nearly 3 000 students taking part:
The test group was split into two, with Group 1 being given classes on the importance of water to their health and water bottle, and encouraged by their teacher to refill the bottle every morning. Group 2 had not intervention at all.
The water consumption in Group 1 went up to around 1.5 times more than Group 2 were drinking, and even the teachers in Group 1 drank more water. The increase in their drinking water meant that Group 1 had around 35% less of a chance of becoming obese.
The reduced risk of becoming obese resulted because the children in Group 1 drank more water therefore felt more full and ate less; they drank water instead of sweet carbonated drinks, therefore less sugar; and because they drank more water they had more energy to run around and play more and for longer at a time.
The study found that when water fountains were placed in common areas at schools, children drank more water more often.
If your child’s school does not have a water fountains, maybe it is time for you to get together with the other parents and campaign for one or more to be installed. Water fountains are more hygienic and can provide chilled water virtually 24/7, ensuring that there will always be some nice cold, refreshing water for the children to drink. This is extremely important because there are children in every school who cannot afford to buy cold drinks every day and who wants to drink tepid tap water? This results in these children spending most of their lives at least partially dehydrated and without the energy to play, adding to their potential to become obese.
Investing in a water cooler for your home is another way to make sure that your children have no excuse to drink water. Teach them how important drinking water is for them to have energy, be able to play and study, and grow big and strong, then provide them with an easily accessible source of pure drinking water.
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