Whilst it is pretty much common knowledge that we all need to keep an eye on the amount of water we drink every day, teenagers are particularly highlighted as being at risk of dehydration. This is partially a result of their lifestyle and also because they are growing mentally and physically throughout these milestone years. Freedom of Choice Parents often have the last word on what their children eat and drink, however, once the same child becomes a teenager, things change dramatically. By way of asserting their independence, they will tend to drink and eat whatever they can get away with. This usually spells out trouble and fizzy drinks will probably make up a large percentage of the liquids of choice. Energy drinks are the current fad and the problem with these and more regular carbonated beverages is the high sugar content. As well as gaining weight, sugary drinks can render the drinker full of energy and quite often they become hyperactive. Energy drinks were designed for athletes, if these additional ingredients are not effectively burned off, all kinds of issues can arise. The Good Stuff! If you consider the typical university student and the large amount of cognitive functions their collective brains are required to carry out, becoming dehydrated is the last thing that they need. Recent research has shown that a well hydrated teenager at university can maintain their mental performance level without too many issues. This is exactly why water needs to be a big part of teenagers daily routine and sugary drinks need to be kept to the minimum. Weight Issues and More Moving back to the scary facts about how many teenagers are shunning water for fizzy pop drinks, the recent obesity trend has a lot to do with the calorific content of these little horrors. They are also responsible for a large proportion of tooth decay and just think about the way that Diabetes Type 2 has recently been in the news. Water and lots of it! Teenagers, whether in university or elsewhere, should really be drinking the recommended daily guidelines for water consumption:
  • Children aged 9-13 - This age group needs to drink about 1470ml per day for males and 1330ml for females.
  • Children aged 14 plus – Males should be drinking 1750ml per day and females 1400ml.
Ignore at your Peril! If you are currently studying at university and find it difficult to concentrate, please review your current daily water consumption rate and you may well find out that you need to increase it accordingly.