Schools combat child obesity with water focus

Schools combat child obesity with water focus

Clean, Accessible Drinking Water in Schools Linked to Healthier Weight in Kids

In the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic, a new study has revealed a simple, yet effective solution for helping school kids maintain a healthier weight: clean, accessible drinking water. This surprising finding emerged from a study conducted in 18 California elementary schools that primarily cater to low-income minority families. The researchers introduced a “Water First” program, which involved installing tap water stations in the schools. They discovered that this program made a significant difference in preventing weight gain among the students.

Among the nine schools where the Water First program was implemented, the percentage of children classified as overweight remained fairly steady over a period of 15 months. On the other hand, at schools without the water program, the percentage of overweight students increased by almost 4 percentage points. These results are remarkable considering that encouraging kids to drink water is just one simple step among many factors that influence weight.

Marlene Schwartz, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, called attention to the impact of this low-tech solution. She stated, “I think the fact that they were able to find this difference is pretty remarkable.” According to Schwartz, it is generally challenging to make significant changes in children’s weight due to the multitude of factors that influence it.

Dr. Anisha Patel, the lead researcher of the study, highlighted the relative simplicity of this approach, which can bring several benefits beyond weight management. These include cavity prevention, hydration, and improved learning abilities. She emphasized that this Water First program is something school administrators can support wholeheartedly.

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The inspiration for this study actually came from a group of middle-school students back in 2006. At that time, Patel was working in Los Angeles public schools to gather ideas for new programs to address childhood obesity. Some students approached her and expressed a desire for more drinking water. In many California public schools, free drinking water was not readily available, and bottled water was displayed alongside sugary drinks, making it an unpopular choice. However, it is now a federal law that school cafeterias provide free drinking water during meal periods and that sugary drinks are banned.

Motivated by the students’ request, Patel and her colleagues embarked on the Water First study. The program aimed to provide free drinking water stations not only in cafeterias but also in playgrounds and other high-traffic areas within schools. To ensure safety, the tap water was tested for lead. Additionally, the program included promotion efforts such as signs around the schools, a kickoff assembly, and other strategies to encourage children to drink water.

The study involved 18 elementary schools in northern California, with nine schools randomly selected to implement the water program. The remaining nine schools served as a comparison group. After 15 months, a noticeable difference in the prevalence of overweight students emerged. In schools that launched the water program, the percentage of students falling into the overweight category remained relatively stable, increasing from 49.5% to 50%. In contrast, the comparison schools saw an increase from 47.7% to 51.4%, just shy of 4 percentage points.

Based on food diaries kept by families, it was observed that children at schools implementing the water program decreased their consumption of sugary drinks, although this effect weakened after 15 months. The study did not find any impact on the percentage of students classified as obese. Patel explained that this was not surprising since addressing obesity requires multiple interventions rather than relying solely on one solution.

Nevertheless, these findings underline a simple yet effective way for schools to positively impact not only children’s weight gain but also their overall well-being. Patel and Schwartz both agreed that access to clean, safe, and palatable water should be a minimum standard that schools strive to meet. Schwartz also dismissed the idea that children find water “boring,” stating that children will happily drink plain water if that’s what they are offered.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides tips for parents to help their children maintain a healthy weight. It is crucial for parents and schools to prioritize programs and policies that encourage regular water consumption among children to foster healthier habits and combat childhood obesity.

Sources:

• Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH, MSHS, professor, pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.
• Marlene Schwartz, PhD, director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, professor, human development and family sciences, University of Connecticut, Hartford
• Pediatrics, Aug. 7, 2023, online