The Sedgwick County health-related organizations are doing a wellness challenge called “Chug a Jug” this month.
The goal is to have each participating employee meet their personal goal for water consumption in a day–with a suggested goal of 64 oz (a half gallon) of water per day.
I’m participating, but I’m complaining about it to my husband all the time.
Why am I complaining?
*****Begin Rant*****
Because it’s just wrong, just plain wrong.
Okay, maybe not that bad.
The health goal is ostensibly to have people replace caloric beverages with water–which is generally a good choice–but the execution leaves much to be desired (in my humble opinion.)
First, there’s the jug aspect. The challenge suggests 64 oz per day, the “8 glasses” we all grew up hearing. Problem is, there really isn’t any science that says 8 glasses is the optimum amount of water for even the average adult. That’s actually a pretty arbitrary number. For children, that number could actually be dangerous if kids tried drinking that much too quickly. (And yes, the challenge does let employees enroll their family members.)
Second, there’s the water aspect. Most of the benefits of water that are spread through e-mailed reminders are actually not benefits of water (that is, plain water) per se, but of fluid in general. Fact is, our bodies are remarkably good at getting water from all the fluids and even foods that we eat. When we drink juice, Koolaid, sports drinks, soda, coffee, milk, and tea–our body gets water. We don’t have to be drinking it plain from a tap or a bottle to obtain the benefits of water.
Third, there’s the two of them together.
Let me explain what I mean.
Assume I require 2000 calories per day. If I look at the USDA’s My Plate, I should be getting 3 cups of dairy in a day. That’s 24 oz, which (assuming that the 64 oz guideline is correct–which it isn’t necessarily) leaves me 40 oz of fluid for the day. Assume I decide to get 1/2 cup of my 2 cups of fruit from fruit juice. That leaves me 36 oz of fluid in the day. Now, say I like to wake up with a 16 oz coffee (without sugar or with an artificial sweetener). That would leave me with 20 oz of fluid in my daily requirement. If I were to drink 64 oz of water on top of that, I would be getting a whopping 108 oz of water (just 2 1/2 cups less than a gallon) in a day–which is more than is necessary by any estimation.
In other words, the challenge is silly.
*****End Rant*****
I agree completely! I couldn’t have spouted off those numbers like you or given the scientific reasons, but I have often thought that a water quota like that was, to use your word, “silly.” I remember somewhere along the way in my education, I was taught that the body actually uses THIRST to indicate when more water needs to be consumed – imagine that!! ;-) The common sense solution, this teacher of mine said, is to pay attention to your body and when you’re thirsty, take a drink! It’s revolutionary, I know. ;-)