Don't drink beverages as water. Water intake = calories consumed.

The temperature is gradually rising. What would you choose to drink when you are thirsty? A survey conducted by the Tung Foundation on elementary school students showed that although the students knew that drinking boiled water was the healthiest, only 45% of them actually drank it, while the rest chose sports drinks, milk tea and other beverages. Nutritionists call for a change in the sugar content of various beverages. Drinks cannot replace water. So how much water should schoolchildren drink in a day? The recommendation is proportional to the calories consumed. If you consume 2 kcal of calories, you need to replenish 2 kcal of water.

Parents and teachers should encourage students to drink plain water and avoid sugary drinks. The recommended amount of water you should drink per day is proportional to the calories you consume. If you consume 2,000 calories, you should drink 2,000 cc of water. (Photography by Zhang Yawen)

Drinking beverages as water will develop a taste that is difficult to change

Xu Huiyu, director of the nutrition group of the Tung Foundation, said that many school children now drink beverages as water. Once they develop this taste, it will be more difficult for them to accept plain boiled water when they grow up. She pointed out that beverages contain high sugar, pigments and flavors, which are the cause of childhood obesity and increase the risk of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

In the past, Dong's survey on drinking water for elementary school children showed that less than half of the children would choose to drink boiled water when they are thirsty. The second most popular choice is sports drinks, followed by drinks such as milk tea and black tea.

Drinking sports drinks instead of water may harm your heart and kidneys

Xu Huiyu said that many people believe that school children are very active, so supplementing with sports drinks can increase electrolytes and taste better than boiled water. However, sports drinks actually contain sugar and are not low in calories. Moreover, if sports drinks are drunk as water every day, excessive electrolytes enter the body, which may cause blood pressure to rise, and the kidneys must spend more work to eliminate them, which is harmful to both the heart and the kidneys.

Calories consumed in a day are equivalent to the amount of water consumed

So how much boiled water should schoolchildren drink in a day? Xu Huiyu suggested replenishing calories according to the calories consumed. For example, if the calories consumed per day reach 2,000 calories, 2,000 cc of water should be replenished. She also suggested that schoolchildren should not drink water only when they feel thirsty, but replenish water at regular intervals and in regular amounts to avoid dehydration.

In order to promote the habit of drinking boiled water among primary school children, the Tung Foundation also called on the children of Gongguan Primary School to shoot a video called "I Just Love Drinking Water", conveying the concept of "drinking more boiled water" through action exercises. The children who participated in the filming also said that they will now take the initiative to look for boiled water to drink and no longer drink so many beverages.

Parents should avoid using sugary drinks as rewards

The Tung Foundation also calls on parents and teachers to set a good example for their children by having them drink boiled water, and not to use beverages as rewards, so that children can develop the healthy habit of drinking water as early as possible.