Why drink more water?

0somuchbetter0

<a href=http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/why-drink-more-water/279591/Why "Drink More Water?"</a>

<i>“40 percent of Americans drink less than half of the recommended amount of water daily,” said Sam Kass, White House Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy [sic?], yesterday. Kass and Mrs. Obama’s press secretary, Hannah August attributed that statistic to a CDC study.

The problem is, though, that there is no recommended daily amount of water. If we knew how much we should be drinking, and it turned out we weren’t drinking enough, then yes, tell us to drink more. </i>

Personally, I love water. But this campaign does seem to have its share of problems. I think the reason we're told again and again to drink more water is because many people quench their thirst with high-calorie, high-sugar beverages, which is part of the obesity epidemic. So why don't they just say that?

Edited to add: why doesn't this site support html?? I have no idea how to do links here, sorry...

Mokey41

You need to drink or eat enough liquids in a day to have your urine be a pale yellow. There is no set amount you need nor does it have to be in the form of water. An apple is 85% water as are many other fruits and veggies. There is no health or weight loss benefit to drinking a lot of water.

melsinct

I posted this ages ago but it still holds true. we all have different water requirements based on activity level, exertion, climate, etc. Go by your pee color...that is what the US military does to keep troops hydrated and it is a good indicator of your hydration level. The darker the pee, the more you need to drink:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/857659-the-definitive-how-much-water-do-i-really-need-thread

0somuchbetter0

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't asking for me -- I drink lots of water and I like it. I was asking what people thought of the "Drink Up" campaign. I guess I wasn't clear.