Children tend to have a particular antipathy toward drinking water; it’s colourless, relatively tasteless, doesn’t “fizz” or foam, and is therefore not deemed interesting or fun enough by most youngsters. Many people do not really become interested in the benefits of drinking more water until they hit their teen years, at which time they usually grow more keenly aware of its positive effect on weight loss and/or helping to maintain nice-looking skin. Drinking water is, however, just as important for children as it is for adults, and more efforts need to be undertaken to encourage the practice early on in life.
Why should children in the UK be consuming more water?
For one, drinking water is the best way to actually quench thirst; nothing, not even expensive sports drinks, actually restores hydration like water does. Therefore, active children should be encouraged to drink water and only water, especially when engaging in sports on hot days; it’s the surest way to prevent dangerous dehydration.
Proper hydration has also been found to have the same concentration-boosting properties in children as it has in adults, particularly when it comes to helping them perform better on visual attention tasks. Sugar, on the other hand, tends to have a negative effect on concentration, leading children to get extremely hyper and fidgety before crashing into a drained and often moody state.
Likewise, childhood obesity is a widespread health issue in the UK, with nearly 20 percent of children being obese as of 2012; naturally, anything that can be done to cut out meaningless calories, such as choosing water over soda or sugary juices, is therefore helpful. Water has absolutely no calories in it whatsoever, so long as it has not been flavoured or otherwise tampered with (beware of trendy “vitamin water” brands—these can be loaded with sugar).
And of course, there is the classic reason why water is better: Drinking water instead of sweetened drinks is the best way to prevent dental cavities (sugary drinks are even more damaging to teeth than sugary foods, as they tend to sit on the teeth longer and contain more acids). The fluoride found in tap water also contributes to cavity prevention.
How can personalised school water bottles help children to drink more water?
Personalised school water bottles, common fundraiser staples at many schools, can play a strong role in helping to encourage children to drink more water. Carrying a refillable water bottle of any kind makes it quick, easy, and free to drink water, meaning that children will be more likely to choose it over other, less healthy options. Personalised school water bottles go a step further, however, as they can be customised to display the child’s own artwork or any other image of his or her choice, making the bottle something the child will want to use and show off, because it feels “special”.
