Water is the original sports drink.  With no sugar, fat, calories, or cholesterol, water is good for your body.  It helps keep skin, muscles, and the digestive system healthy.  Drinking plenty of water may:

• help you lose weight
• help you manage stress
• give you an energy boost.

When you think, “I’m thirsty”, choose water before any other drink.

Why Choosing Water is Better

Did you know that a 12 ounce can of regular soda may have as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar or even more?  Sugar-sweetened beverages have a lot of calories and are usually low in vitamins and minerals.  Drinking too much soda, fruit drinks, and other high calorie, high sugar drinks has been linked to overweight and obesity, especially for young children.  With all the health benefits of water, it is easy to see why choosing water over sugary drinks is good for your health.  

Obesity affects 23 million children and teenagers in the U.S. and puts children at risk for serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.  

What can you do?  Always choose and offer water first, especially when serving children!

Want more ideas?

Check out Columbus Public Health’s Healthy Children, Healthy Weights for tips.

For more information:

Go to the Kids’ Healthy Weight health topic.