Why drinking water to shed weight is a waste of time



Weighty issue: Drinking lots of water does not make you lose weight



Drinking water does not help keep you trim, research shows.

Dieters who down up to eight glasses a day in the hope of slimming could be wasting their time.

They could be better off eating foods rich in water, such as fruit, vegetables, rice, soups and casseroles, the research suggests.

In a study the weight and waist size of more than 1,000 young women was compared with the amount of water they consumed each day - both from drinks and food.

It found no link between water in drinks, including water itself, tea, coffee, soft drinks and fruit juices, and body shape.

But there was a link between water taken in from food, with women who ate the highest quantities of water-rich foods tending to have slightly smaller waists.

They also had a lower body mass index - meaning they were a better weight for their height, the journal Nutrition reports.

The link held firm even when other factors such as the amount of exercise done and whether the woman was dieting were taken into account.

The researchers, from the University of Tokyo, said it was unclear why water in food but not water in drinks should affect weight.

The result could be due to water-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and rice also being high in fibre.

This makes people feel full faster, so preventing them from overeating.

The finding echoes other studies which have shown we eat less after eating water-rich foods but not after drinking water.

'These studies suggest that when water is consumed as an integral component of a food, it promotes satiety and decreases subsequent dietary intake, thus possibly working to prevent obesity,' the researchers said.

On the other hand, water consumed alone or even alongside food had no such effect.

The study is not the first to question the widely-promoted theory that we need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy.

An earlier review of every published clinical trial into the benefits of water found there was no solid evidence that drinking plenty was good for the skin, warded off weight gain or helped rid the body of toxins.

Instead, most of us get all the fluids we need to avoid dehydration from food and other drinks, including tea and coffee, the analysis found.

The American researchers said those living in hot, dry climates have a need for extra water, as do athletes and patients with some illnesses.

'But no such data exists for average healthy individuals,' their report said.

