Evian and Obesity
To be optimally healthy, adults need 8 glasses of water a day. But what about children?
Children need to learn to drink water and not only to drink it but to choose to drink it. This may sounds like an impossible task as once they are used to sugary drinks and the sweet taste of soft drinks – how can you possibly set them on a well watered path?
Where there is a will there is a way and with the prevalence of obesity in children, we d better find a way fast! During International Obesity week we want to encourage one simple change to turn your happy child into a healthy adult.
SIP, SIP AND SOME MORE! Here are a few tips to your child to drink water:
- Make it a family affair
Ensure that water is the main drink in your home. If your child sees you drink water he or she will more than likely to know that you are having the same drink.
- Make the best option the only option
Have water bottles easily avialble and when your child feels thirsty – the first port of call should be the favourite bottle! Also, have ajug of water on the table at meal times for the whole family, when your child sees that no one else is having a sugary drink it willl be much easier to explain the switch to water.
- ice ice baby
Kids love ice! Whether it’s the coolness or the clinking sound it makes in the cyup – add some ice and see if that does the trick!
- When times get tough…
If your child is having a hard tome adjusting to the taste of water, add slcies of apple or strawberries to give it a subtle sweet taste. And the fruit can be the reward for finishing a whole cup of water!
Evain is the only water with no sodium … making it the best option for a growing child.
A team led by Brenda Davy of Virginia Tech has run the first randomised controlled trial studying the link between water consumption and weight loss. A report on the 12-week trial, published earlier this year, suggested that drinking water before meals does lead to weight loss
According to a recent study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, among adolescents, plain water accounted for only 33 percent of total water intake, with the remaining intake consisting of beverages containing excess calories. The increased availability of beverages with excess calories such as sodas and sports drinks in stores, restaurants, homes, and schools likely contributes to the increased intake of these beverages instead of water. Particular to the school environment, when schools offer beverages such as sodas, juice, flavored milk, and sports drinks, students may be tempted to drink those beverages rather than water. In most schools, free water is available through drinking fountains. In some cases, fountains may be poorly maintained or unclean (with gum or trash), and dispense water that is unpalatable (warm, discolored, poor taste) or even unsafe. To encourage water intake, it is important to provide water that is refreshing and inviting to students.
The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2013 the number of overweight children under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 31 million of these are living in developing countries.
Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age
Obesity increases the risk for serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol — all once considered exclusively adult diseases. Obese kids also may be prone to low self-esteem that stems from being teased, bullied, or rejected by peers