Water can be the new secret to losing weight: Study

Zee Media Bureau

New York: We all might have tried many things like to get rid of those excess fats in our body. But have you ever thought of water being the reason of your weight loss.

Well, recently a study revealed that water can be the potential secret weapon in the fight against the ever-burgeoning waistline.

Researchers said that drinking lots of water helps in reducing weight as it contains no carbohydrates, fat or protein which are the key factors for obesity. Water may also help avoid overeating and thus lead to a healthier weight.

Lead author Tammy Chang, Assistant Professor at University of Michigan, in the US said, 'Staying hydrated is good for you no matter what, and our study suggests it may also be linked to maintaining a healthy weight''.

'He further added that ''Our findings suggest that hydration may deserve more attention when thinking about addressing obesity on a population level''.

The findings showed that people who are obese and have a higher body mass index (BMI) are more likely to be inadequately hydrated.

On the other, people with inadequately water content are also likely to be obese and have a higher BMI.

Staying hydrated by drinking water and eating more water-loaded fruits and vegetables can help with weight management, specially in obese individuals.

However, "the link between hydration and weight is not clear. Our study further explains this relationship on a population level using an objective measure of hydration," Chang noted.

In addition, people with higher BMIs, who are expected to have higher water needs might also demonstrate behaviours that lead to inadequate hydration, the researchers said.

For the study, published in Annals of Family Medicine journal, the team looked at a nationally representative sample of 9,528 adults. Roughly a third of the adults, who spanned ages 18 to 64, were inadequately hydrated.

(With IANS inputs)