H4H – Hydration for Health

A great health concern in many countries is the rising progression of overweight and obesity in societies undergoing nutritional and epidemiological transitions. Overweight and obesity has become a global pandemic that has major health and economic consequences. The global transition in food consumption and in physical activity habits probably plays an important role as discussed by various authors in numerous countries [1, 2] . A number of factors, including nutrition and eating behaviours, physical activity profile, psychological influences, environmental determinants as well as genetic and epigenetic cues, require consideration. Concerning nutritional considerations related to obesity, the health impact of fluid intake is commonly neglected, and fluid intake advices are missing in most of the food pyramids offered to the public. Water requirements and hydration challenges are often neglected since it is considered that methodological bias exist for measurement of water intake or water losses [3] . Nevertheless, over the last decades attention has been focused upon health risks related to overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). They constitute a large percentage of energy consumed by youth. Despite the strong resistance from the beverage industry and claims of scientists under their control, recent epidemiologic studies have associated the consumption of SSBs with increased risk of obesity, metabolic alterations and risk of cardiovascular diseases. The cumulative evidence from observational studies and experimental trials pinpoint that regular consumption of SSBs contributes to excess weight gain [4, 5] . The health effects of SSBs consumption remain the subject of intense and controversial scientific debate and utilisation of tangential arguments to make diversion from the centre of the debate is used. Guidelines for overweight and obesity usually include recommendations on changes in physical activity and diet while little or no advice is offered on the importance of hydration practices. Recently recommendations for healthier hydration in obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention have been published [6] . Delineation of global health benefits of a healthier hydration merit more attention. With regard to the trend of increasing SSB