In NYC elementary schools in which ‘water jets’ or cooled water dispensers have been installed, a small but statistically significant decrease in student obesity has occurred.
This is not a new intervention in fighting child obesity; providing access to drinking water in the cafeteria was the premise of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
This is noteworthy, given that 40% of NYC school children are overweight! The filling effect of water, as well as the refreshing sensation, can displace such caloric items as milk shakes or other sugary beverages. This study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Caveat– at time of this study, sugar-sweetened beverages had already been removed from NYC schools.
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