Drinking water can help children lose weight

Son with Camelbak (9mo)

I try to make sure that my son always has a source of cold water available, just like I keep my own water supply handy. (He even has a CamelBak 0.4-Liter Kids Bottle, like Mommy's and Daddy's CamelBak 0.75-Liter Better Bottle.) Now I have an additional reason to continue the practice.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, Children who drink water demonstrated an increase of up to 25 percent in resting energy expenditure (REE). The study size was small (21 overweight, but otherwise healthy children) but the findings reinforce the concept that the increased water-induced REE could assist overweight children in weight loss or maintenance. The conclusion: adding a water-drinking emphasis to dietary guidelines could help fight the obesity epidemic.

Researchers were inspired by previous studies that "demonstrated that drinking water significantly elevates the resting energy expenditure (REE) in adults, and that low water intake is associated with obesity and lesser success in weight reduction." That's all I need to reinforce the benefits of drinking water in adults. I can use all the help I can get!