A study by a professor at Syracuse University has found that having more water at lunchtime can help curb childhood obesity.
When water is available in self-serve containers in school cafeterias, students lose weight because they have an alternative to sugary drinks.
“Decreasing the amount of caloric beverages consumed and simultaneously increasing water consumption is important to promote children’s health and the prevalence of childhood obesity,” sail Amy Ellen Schwartz, principal author of the study.
The study examined students in New York City middle and elementary schools, where water is available through installed water jets. These were installed with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics. The body mass index (BMI) of the students was measured before and after the water jets were installed.
After three months, schools with the water jets installed saw a BMI reduction of .025 for boys and .022 for girls.
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