FROM THE ACADEMY Question of the Month
What Impact Does Water Consumption Have on Weight Loss or Weight Loss Maintenance?
W
ATER IS TRULY THE beverage for life. It serves as the medium of transport within the body by supplying nutrients and removing waste. Since data were insufficient to calculate a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), an Adequate Intake (AI) was developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) instead. The AIs are based on median total water intake from US survey data. The AI for generally healthy people living in temperate climates is 125 oz per day for males aged 19 years and over, and 91 oz for females 19 years and over.1 Sources include drinking water, other beverages, and water in food.1 Clearly, hydration is important for health, but in the ongoing quest for evidencebased strategies to address weight loss and weight loss maintenance, where does water consumption fit in? It is commonly recommended that individuals attempting weight loss ramp up their water intake, but there is a lack of research that directly addresses the efficacy of water consumption to facilitate weight loss. Virginia Tech researchers studied 48 adults aged 55 to 75 years to test the effect of premeal water consumption on energy intake.2 The study participants were divided into two groups. One group drank approximately 500 mL of water before their meals and the other group did not. All of the subjects consumed a hypocaloric diet during the study. Over the course of 12 weeks, water drinkers lost about 2 kg more than nonewater drinkers, demonstrating that when combined with a hypocaloric diet, consuming 500 mL
This article was written by Eleese Cunningham, RDN, of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Knowledge Center Team, Chicago, IL. Academy members can contact the Knowledge Center by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.10.008
2084
water before each main meal leads to greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone in middle-aged and older adults. It was hypothesized that this may be due in part to an acute reduction in meal energy intake following water ingestion. A recent article published in the Journal looked at the impact of daily self-monitoring of increased water as a long-term weight-loss management strategy—a strategy not previously examined. The Virginia Tech research group examined the same dieters who had previously participated in the 12-week randomized controlled weight-loss intervention trial described previously to determine the effects of premeal water on weight loss maintenance for 12 months.3 Both groups self-monitored behaviors, but the experimental group participants were also instructed to consume 16 fl oz of water before each main meal and to record daily water intake. There was significant improvement in weight-loss maintenance in the pre-meal water group, indicating self-monitoring of increased water consumption may provide additional weight loss maintenance benefits. In an article published online in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, a research team presented nine obesity myths and 10 commonly held presumptions about obesity.4 Obesity myths were defined as beliefs that persist despite contradicting evidence and presumptions as beliefs that persist in the absence of supporting scientific evidence. The statement, “Drinking more water will reduce energy intake and will lead to weight loss or less weight gain, regardless of whether one intentionally makes any other changes to one’s behavior or environment” was classified as a presumption. According to the authors, the research on satiety is variable. They also note that the hunger and thirst mechanisms are quite separate and it is unlikely that thirst would be interpreted as hunger. It is possible
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
however, that drinking water could fill people up and reduce hunger resulting in reduced energy intake.4 The exact mechanisms of the effect water consumption has on body weight changes are still unclear. However, what is clear is that questions about water and its connection to body weight warrant further study.
References 1.
Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2004.
2.
Dennis EA, Dengo AL, Comber DL, et al. Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults. Obesity. 2010;18(2):300-307.
3.
Akers JD, Cornett RA, Savla JS, Davy KP, Davy BM. Daily self-monitoring of body weight, step count, fruit/vegetable intake, and water consumption: A feasible and effective long-term weight loss maintenance approach. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(5):685-692.e2.
4.
Casazza K, Brown A, Astrup A, et al. Weighing the evidence of common beliefs in obesity research. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408398. 2014.922044.
ª 2014 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
What Impact Does Water Consumption Have on Weight Loss or Weight Loss Maintenance?
W
ATER IS TRULY THE beverage for life. It serves as the medium of transport within the body by supplying nutrients and removing waste. Since data were insufficient to calculate a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), an Adequate Intake (AI) was developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) instead. The AIs are based on median total water intake from US survey data. The AI for generally healthy people living in temperate climates is 125 oz per day for males aged 19 years and over, and 91 oz for females 19 years and over.1 Sources include drinking water, other beverages, and water in food.1 Clearly, hydration is important for health, but in the ongoing quest for evidencebased strategies to address weight loss and weight loss maintenance, where does water consumption fit in? It is commonly recommended that individuals attempting weight loss ramp up their water intake, but there is a lack of research that directly addresses the efficacy of water consumption to facilitate weight loss. Virginia Tech researchers studied 48 adults aged 55 to 75 years to test the effect of premeal water consumption on energy intake.2 The study participants were divided into two groups. One group drank approximately 500 mL of water before their meals and the other group did not. All of the subjects consumed a hypocaloric diet during the study. Over the course of 12 weeks, water drinkers lost about 2 kg more than nonewater drinkers, demonstrating that when combined with a hypocaloric diet, consuming 500 mL
This article was written by Eleese Cunningham, RDN, of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Knowledge Center Team, Chicago, IL. Academy members can contact the Knowledge Center by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.10.008
2084
water before each main meal leads to greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone in middle-aged and older adults. It was hypothesized that this may be due in part to an acute reduction in meal energy intake following water ingestion. A recent article published in the Journal looked at the impact of daily self-monitoring of increased water as a long-term weight-loss management strategy—a strategy not previously examined. The Virginia Tech research group examined the same dieters who had previously participated in the 12-week randomized controlled weight-loss intervention trial described previously to determine the effects of premeal water on weight loss maintenance for 12 months.3 Both groups self-monitored behaviors, but the experimental group participants were also instructed to consume 16 fl oz of water before each main meal and to record daily water intake. There was significant improvement in weight-loss maintenance in the pre-meal water group, indicating self-monitoring of increased water consumption may provide additional weight loss maintenance benefits. In an article published online in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, a research team presented nine obesity myths and 10 commonly held presumptions about obesity.4 Obesity myths were defined as beliefs that persist despite contradicting evidence and presumptions as beliefs that persist in the absence of supporting scientific evidence. The statement, “Drinking more water will reduce energy intake and will lead to weight loss or less weight gain, regardless of whether one intentionally makes any other changes to one’s behavior or environment” was classified as a presumption. According to the authors, the research on satiety is variable. They also note that the hunger and thirst mechanisms are quite separate and it is unlikely that thirst would be interpreted as hunger. It is possible
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
however, that drinking water could fill people up and reduce hunger resulting in reduced energy intake.4 The exact mechanisms of the effect water consumption has on body weight changes are still unclear. However, what is clear is that questions about water and its connection to body weight warrant further study.
References 1.
Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2004.
2.
Dennis EA, Dengo AL, Comber DL, et al. Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults. Obesity. 2010;18(2):300-307.
3.
Akers JD, Cornett RA, Savla JS, Davy KP, Davy BM. Daily self-monitoring of body weight, step count, fruit/vegetable intake, and water consumption: A feasible and effective long-term weight loss maintenance approach. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(5):685-692.e2.
4.
Casazza K, Brown A, Astrup A, et al. Weighing the evidence of common beliefs in obesity research. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408398. 2014.922044.
ª 2014 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
