by Sandra Gordon
Water is an important player in keeping your child healthy. Among its many duties, “water aids digestion, helps prevent constipation, normalizes blood pressure and helps stabilize heart beat,” says Joel Steinberg, M.D.
Water also carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints and protects organs and tissues, helps regulate body temperature and maintains electrolyte (sodium) balance.
You’ve probably heard the latest statistics: 17 percent of children and adolescents obesity, triple the rate from just one generation ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To help your child keep her weight in check, encourage them to drink water or juice spritzers (seltzer with a splash of fruit juice) between meals instead of juice boxes or regular soft drinks. (An occasional diet soda is okay.)
Researchers have found that kids who are regular soda drinkers consume more total calories than those who don’t. Why? It’s not just the 120 calories (or so) sodas generally contain per 12-ounce can. Liquid
calories tend to get lost on the calorie radar screen.
“Studies show that when we consume calories in liquid form, we don’t compensate for those calories by eating less at subsequent meals,” says Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., R.D.
For optimal health, kids generally need about a liter of water for every 1,000 calories they consume. But don’t worry about doing the math. With the exception of infants and older kids who get so busy playing, they forget to drink (more on those later).
“Let your child’s thirst drive be your guide,” says Steinberg. In other words, make plenty of water available and let your kids drink as much as they want.”
A benchmark that kids are drinking enough “They’re urinating every couple of hours,” says Michael Farrell, M.D.
Besides promoting water drinking, drink water yourself between meals.
“Parental modeling is a strong influence on children’s eating patterns,” says Johnson. “If children see their mom or dad drinking water, they’re more likely to drink it than some other type of beverage.”
Meanwhile, stick to milk at meals (and do so yourself, to set a good example).
For growing bones, “kids need the calcium,” says Johnson (and so do you). Plus, studies show that a calcium-rich diet may also help keep weight in check.
