Access to free drinking water is not a given in schools and child care centers, although it is a key strategy to build lifelong healthy habits in children. Safe and appealing drinking water is particularly important to increase water consumption among Latino kids, who face more obstacles to being healthy, thus face higher rates of obesity and chronic disease. At the state policy level, drinking water availability in child care centers is governed by child care center licensing regulations, and drinking water availability in public schools is primarily governed by school nutrition policies, state plumbing codes, and school facilities standards. A recent study looked at state-wide policies in 20 states for drinking water quality and access in public schools and licensed child-care ...
Many American kids eat two out of three meals at school. Schools must offer healthy food and drinks, especially for Latino students who are more likely than their peers to face an unhealthy weight, unhealthy neighborhood food options, and unhealthy early development. That's why schools should offer plain water with meals—not milk. So says a new study by University of Illinois researcher Ruopeng An, which encouraged children to drink plain water with their school lunches. This simple switch from milk to water at school could prevent more than a half-million kids from becoming overweight or obese, and trim the costs of obesity by more than $13 billion, An's study suggests. "The nutrition profile doesn't change much when people increase their plain-water intake, but we ...
Latino kids consume more sugary drinks than their peers at all ages, which contributes to their high obesity rates, research shows. And they drink less water, too. Water consumption can decrease sugary drink intake, prevent cavities, and reduce risk of dehydration and its effect on fatigue and brain functioning. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, to tweet how to increase access to water for Latino and all kids, and celebrate the #SaludWater campaign! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Water vs. Sugary Drinks”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOST: The Center for Science in the Public Interest (@CSPI), Public Health Advocates (@WeArePHA), Kick the Can ...
Clean, accessible water is vital to the health of children, especially when it comes to reducing consumption of sugary beverages and keeping kids healthy throughout the school day. The National Drinking Water Alliance (NDWA) is a national coalition of nonprofits, academic institutions, individuals and advocates who are working to ensure all children have access to safe and clean drinking water. NDWA is working to ensure water safety issues, like what happened in Flint, are eradicated at the national, state and community levels, by developing legislation for tap water testing in schools and childcare sites. NDWA has not only urged the United States Department of Agriculture to add a water symbol to the My Plate graphic but also provides a hub of various water resources, including ...
This is part of our Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Latino children consume less water than their peers
Research based on national NHANES data (2005-06, 2007-08, and 2009-10) has shown that water intakes among U.S. children ages 4-13 are below recommended levels. Mexican-American children consumed less plain water than Non-Hispanic white children, on average, and children living in lower-income households were less likely to consume water as a beverage than those in high-income households.105 Studies have found that Hispanics are more likely to perceive tap water as unsafe and are less likely to drink tap water compared to Non-Hispanic whites.38,106–108 Recent NHANES data showed that over half (56%) of Mexican-American children consumed water from ...
The National Drinking Water Alliance (NDWA), a coalition of nonprofits, academic institutions, advocates, and individuals, works to ensure that all children are able to access safe water in the places where they live, learn and play. The NDWA recently launched its new online resource clearinghouse for drinking water research, policy, access, and education. DrinkingWaterAlliance.org provides users with hundreds of useful tools, research studies, fact sheets, promotional materials and policy papers, as well as the latest developments in the field. Together, we can improve access to drinking water in childcare centers, use local school wellness policies to improve water quality, educate families and help people pledge to drink water instead of sugary beverages – and much ...
Schools in California will now be having access to safe drinking water, as California Governor Jerry Brown approved $9.5 million in the state's budget to ensure school filtration systems provide students clean water. California has dealt with various droughts, leading to contamination and shortages of clean water creating a lack of access to safe drinking water in many homes, businesses, and schools. Over 100 schools will be helped by the funds, addressing previous issues of lead and uranium that was found in some schools water fountains. However, an estimated 980 to 1,690 schools are still dealing with water contamination issues. The Drinking Water Advocates Coalition applauded the Governor and Legislator for taking these vital steps to ensure safe drinking water in the middle ...
Tennessee Clean Water Network is working to "Bring Tap Back". The nonprofit organization promotes clean water and healthy communities and has been a part of local visits to schools to encourage to use free water bottles to drink water and educate kids about the importance of consuming fewer sodas and sugary beverages. The "Bring Tap Back" initiative was funded by a three-year Project Diabetes grant from the Tenn. Dept. of Health. that has helped provide water bottle refill stations across the state. In Knoxville, Tenn. 80 water bottle refill stations have helped people trade sugary drinks for water to reduce risks of obesity and diabetes. Sodas, sports drinks, unnaturally sweetened juices and other sugary beverages are known to increase risks of diabetes and obesity in Latino ...
Gaby Medina, a mom and health educator in the neighborhood of Westwood, in Denver, Colo. (79.36%), didn’t have a lot of faith in the safety of local tap water when she arrived here from Mexico. Much of Denver's foreign-born population similarly distrust the safety of tap water. However, Gaby eventually learned to trust the water. She then took a big step to make sure her family, friends, and fellow Latino residents across the community understand that tap water is far safer, healthier, and more affordable than sugary drinks.
Is tap water safe? Gabriela “Gaby” Medina is your average Latina mom who wants to help her 10-year-old daughter and her family live happy, healthy lives. In Mexico, tap water is not always safe to drink. “Initially, yes, I was hesitant ...
