Abstract
At present, obesity and overweight are major public health concerns. Their classical determinants do not sufficiently explain the current situation and it is urgent to investigate other possible causes. In recent years, it has been suggested that water intake could have important implications for weight management. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of hydration status on body weight and composition in healthy adolescents from Spain. The study involved 372 subjects, aged 12–18 years. Water intake was assessed through the validated “hydration status questionnaire adolescent young”. Anthropometric measurements were performed according to the recommendations of the International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment (ISAK) and body composition was estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Water intake normalized by body weight was positively correlated with body water content (boys (B): r = 0.316, p = 0.000; girls (G): r = 0.245, p = 0.000) and inversely with body mass index (BMI) (B: r = −0.515, p = 0.000; G: r = −0.385, p =0.000) and fat body mass (B: r = −0.306, p = 0.000; G: r = −0.250, p = 0.001). Moreover, according to BMI, overweight/obese individuals consumed less water than normal weight ones. In conclusion, higher water balance and intake seems to be related with a healthier body composition.
Highlights
Obesity and overweight are currently the fifth leading global risk factor for mortality [1].Its continuously increasing prevalence throughout the world has made prevention a major public health challenge
The fact that higher levels of water balance and water consumption were associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and with a healthier body composition is of great importance, given that it could be useful in the prevention of overweight and obesity and confirm the existence of an important relation between hydration status, body weight and body composition
When specific water sources and water balance were studied against anthropometric and body composition variables, we found that water balance was inversely correlated with BMI percentiles in both boys and girls, and, in boys, it was inversely correlated with relevant variables such as waist circumference and fat body mass, and positively associated with total body water
Summary
Obesity and overweight are currently the fifth leading global risk factor for mortality [1].Its continuously increasing prevalence throughout the world has made prevention a major public health challenge. The current situation in children and adolescents is an issue of special concern, given that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 340 million people aged between five and nineteen years are obese or overweight [2]. Survey [3] has shown that the prevalence of this chronic disease in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in the last thirty years. This situation has resulted in diseases and health problems that were previously observed only in adults, such as diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease and/or fatty liver disease, affecting obese children [4,5,6]. Childhood is the best stage of life to prevent diseases and to promote healthy habits and, the prevention of obesity is of major importance
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