Most people I know don’t drink enough water during the day. I don’t know that I would position this as a fact – It’s just my observation of my friends and associates that I come in contact with daily. I typically see soda, juice, tea, coffee, or smoothies consumed. Sometimes I see a water bottle; however, it’s not the norm in my day to day observations. Maybe I am not paying enough attention…Maybe.
Funny, my observations are counter to what the data shows – According to Ginger Adam Otis of the New York Daily News, “Water has quietly replaced soda as America’s beverage of choice — ending soda’s 20-year-run in the top spot, statistics show.”. There are various reasons why my observations don’t align with demographics, part of town I travel to and from, time of day, etc. According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), and the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), American consumption of bottled water increased overall by 6.2% in 2012 – 9.67 billion gallons. In 2016, Americans consumed 12.8 billion gallons of bottled water, a 9% increase from the previous year. So, some “bodies” consume a lot of water so that it would seem, and these numbers don’t take into account tap water consumption.
Why is this important? Water is our body’s principal chemical component, which on average, 75% of our weight is water. If the 12.8 billion gallon number is correct, that would suggest Americans are, on average, consuming approximately 42 gallons of bottled water annually.
Forty-two gallons of bottled water annually represents roughly the minimum amount of water on average used for the American body. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, American men’s average weight is 197.7 pounds and 168.5 pounds for women, suggesting men should consume 99 ounces daily and women 84 ounces, respectively.
For example, if we were to use 64 ounces (1/2 gallon) of water daily as a baseline for water consumption the body needs, then American consumption of water for our bodies should be around 55 billion gallons of water annually. Again, this doesn’t account for tap water consumption, but there seems to be a 42.5 billion gallon deficit in water consumption.
Every system in the human body is reliant on water. Ideally clean water, with alkaline of at least 7 pH, and consumption of at least 50% of your weight in ounces daily. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should be consuming about 100 ounces of water daily.
Our kidneys are responsible for maintaining water balance through the elimination of waste products and excess water. Water is primarily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and excreted by the kidneys as urine. The variation in water volume ingested is dependent on the ability of kidneys to dilute and concentrate the urine as needed.
Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body fluid is lost, estimated by a loss in body weight. Mild dehydration is the loss of no more than 5 to 6 percent loss of body weight. Loss of 7 to 10 percent is considered moderate dehydration. Severe dehydration (loss of over 10 percent of body weight) is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical care.
Recognizing signs of dehydration is important. They include:
- Little or no urine.
- Urine that is darker than usual.
- Dry mouth.
- Tired or Sleepy.
- Increased thirst.
- A headache.
- Confusion.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness.
- No tears when crying.
Don’t wait until you notice symptoms of dehydration to take action. Proactively prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of water – 50% of your body weight in ounces as a target. Over time, failure to drink enough water can contribute to a wide range of medical complications, from fatigue, joint pain, and weight gain to headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. So stay, hydrated!
References:
- New York Daily News, March 12, 2013, http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/americans-buying-water-soda-studies-article-1.1286759 (Accessed June 24, 2017)
- The Associated Press, March 9, 2017, http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/03/09/beverage-industry-tracker-more-bottled-water-soda-2016/ (Accessed June 24, 2017)
- The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), April 25, 2013, http://www.bottledwater.org/us-consumption-bottled-water-shows-continued-growth-increasing-62-percent-2012-sales-67-percent (Accessed June 27, 2017)
- Reuters/CNBC, March 10, 2017, http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/10/americans-drank-more-bottled-water-than-soda-in-2016.html (Accessed June 28, 2017)
- US News & World Report, September 13, 2013, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/09/13/the-truth-about-how-much-water-you-should-really-drink (Accessed July 2, 2017)
- Ounces to Gallon conversion tool: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+ounces+in+a+gallon&rlz=1C1AFAB_enUS565US565&oq=how+many+ounc&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l5.7323j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (Accessed July 2, 2017)
- Calculation: ~42 gallons of bottled water annually = 12.8 billion gallons of water annually / ~300 Million people in America.
- Calculation: ~55 Billion gallons = 64 oz * 365 days / year * ~300 Million people in America = ~7 Trillion ounces.
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htm (Accessed July 7, 2017)
- Dehydration http://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/diseases-and-conditions/pathology/dehydration (Accessed July 7, 2017)
- U.S. Geological Survey https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html (Accessed July 9, 2017)
- Barry M. Popkin, Kristen E. D’Anci, and Irwin H. Rosenberg, Water, Hydration and Health, National Center for Biotechnology, Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/ (Accessed July 9, 2017)