Nutritional scientists: Drinking water is the key to fighting child obesity

Scientists said that although there are no easy solutions to address obesity, not giving children sugary drinks - especially with meals - could help.

13:44 26 June 2014

Scientists from the University of Oxford said that drinking water is the key to fight child obesity.

 

Prof Susan Jebb, said:  "It comes back to simple advice to parents - encourage your children to drink water. 

 

"Once they've been weaned, 'children should be drinking water' is absolutely the message. Milk is fine, but that should be the mainstay of our advice." 

 

Prof Tom Sanders, the head of diabetes and nutritional sciences division at King's College London, agrees saying: "Kids should get into the habit of drinking water.

 

"The problem is people don't drink water anymore. I think families should put water on the table, not pop, [which] should be a treat."

 

The advice comes as Public Health England prepares to publish its plans for cutting the nation’s sugar intake.

 

Currently, advice states that no more than 11per cent of daily calories should come from sugars. The figure is 10per cent if alcohol is excluded.

 

The limits would apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.