Let’s face it, children love those sweet, sugar-laden carbonated drinks, and they will drink as many as their little tummies can hold, especially in the warm summer months, but they are really unhealthy for them.

These sweetened beverages add empty calories to children’s’ diets and are a big factor in the global childhood and teenage obesity epidemic. These sweet drinks are also not good for your children’s teeth and can be the cause of many a visit to the dentist.

Researchers at Columbia University, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Children’s Hospital in Boston analysed data from nearly 3,100 children ages 2 through 19 in the nationally representative NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) survey, a large, ongoing government study of Americans’ dietary behaviours.

According to the study, “for every additional 8-ounce serving of sugar-sweetened beverages—including soft drinks, fruit-flavoured drinks, sports beverages, and sweetened iced tea—consumed in a given day, the kids ingested an extra 111 calories compared to days with no sugar-sweetened beverages.”

When the sweetened or carbonated drinks were replaced with water, total caloric intake for the day was decreased without them missing the extra calories or compensating by eating more or drinking other beverages.

Encouraging your children to drink more water and to drink water instead of sweetened drinks will ensure that they are not ingesting too many calories, that their dental as well as their general health will be better, and that they will perform better at school. Keeping hydrated with water will ensure that their muscles grow and work well, and that their brains work optimally.

The best way to encourage your children to drink more water is to invest in a water cooler with a good filter. Mains water coolers are plumbed directly into your main water supply and ensure that there is a continuous, accessible source of chilled, pollutant-free drinking water for all.