To wonder what is wrong with people who don't really drink

I'm the same, also have a dry mouth and throat as a side effect of medication, and a tendency for food to go down the wrong way if I'm not careful how I swallow. (The latter is something I've had all my life and just seems to be the way I'm made, in my case I'm not sure it's psychological.)

Similarly my mum has Barrett's oesophagus which causes her major difficulties with swallowing and she needs a lot of liquid to wash her food down.

I'm old enough that in primary school (in England) we got our 1/3 pint of milk in school (which I liked), good lunches with a glass at each place setting (it wasn't cafeteria style) and a big jug of water on the table, and a water fountain that got plenty of use. The post-war effort to improve the nation's health through teaching children good food habits was still going strong.

I never drink any liquid with my food. I just have a little bit of water in between my meals as and when I am thirsty. No need to have a drink unless you are thirsty.

I can't believe this is real. If it is why on earth didn't you take a 6-pack of Evian or something similar when you went to stay. Especially if you knew water was a problem. Nobody would be offended. I always take bottled water with me as I find water in certain areas of England can affect my stomach.

Loads of older people and kids are constipated so the suggestion that they get enough water from meals probably really isn’t true because we do not eat well in our culture.

I looked up stats and it said 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 3 kids are constipated in the U.K. it’s much worse over 60 and this sounds about right from everyone’s parents comments about how they don’t drink much

OP is so rural that the property only has undrinkable well water, but has still managed to do a Waitrose run for juice.

Yes, but the OP was about people who don't drink, not just with meals.

I drink water from my own well (pumped by electricity into the taps), unboiled, tea, herbal tea, wine, usually diluted with said well water, cocoa, milk. If I'm off alcohol (Lent and November) I'll have some tomato juice as a treat. Don't have soft drinks. But certainly get through the recommended 2 litres a day, usually more.

My mother, who grew up when the well water had to be carried in buckets the half mile from the well, drank the same sort of mixture of stuff, but less than I do, and did have a tendency to constipation - particularly earlier in her adult life. She managed to convert to an increased liquid intake from her 60s on and was much more comfortable.

Despite the constant propaganda from bottled water companies, the human body is evolved to retain water pretty well. So no one actually needs to go round clutching evian bottles, guzzle water constantly, or even worse spend hard earned cash on those fraudulent bottled waters that claim to make you smarter or infuse you full of vitamins.

Fruit and veg contains tonnes of water. So if you have a healthy diet, you'll get plenty of hydration from that source too.

The idea that we all need to guzzle water at every conceivable moment is a marketing con designed to part us from our £££ and literally piss it down the drain.

Cantaloupe melon. Much nicer than a glass of water 😁

I don't remember ever taking water to school as kids do now.

It just wasn't done, was it.
I guess we'd have had a drink in the morning, then one at lunch time (in one of those small glasses with the number on the bottom) and then again at home.
We had water fountains at secondary school.

Humans are pretty well designed, we don't need to be drinking all the time. Following your thirst is OK, it doesn't mean our organs are about to collapse.

The only time I drink more than I feel like is if I'm doing some sport a bit later.

Boiling tap water removes germs but OP is worried about chemicals in the well so not necessarily safe even after boiling.

OP I get it, I feel it if I don’t drink enough through the day and the resulting headache would keep me awake too. Get to the shop as soon as you can. Would it manage the offence if you were to say it was on medical advice to drink a certain amount of fluid a day?

I wonder this too. I could not have a meal without a liquid to go with it. I know people though who when you offer them a drink with a meal, sort of look at you funny. Or be like, no I will have a cup of tea after.

But then I drink a lot of liquid through the day and always have - mostly tea but also water. I literally make cup after cup of tea throughout the day.

But with a meal, no I need a glass of something cold to wash it down.

I'll have to go to the shops. They'll be offended, though

@OptimismvsRealism I wouldn't worry about offending them. I'm sure you could just say that you are prone to migraines and need to stay well hydrated to prevent them.

I get headaches if I am dehydrated.

I don’t know how all you minimal drinkers aren’t completely constipated 😂. I have to drink plenty for this reason. I would drink with a meal if it’s salty or dry for sure but my mum doesn’t

We have friends who never seem to drink much. I’ve asked for a drink at their house and been given a very small glass of water. They never have a drink with a meal and sometimes manage a very small coffee afterwards.They must be permanently dehydrated!

I couldn't eat anything without a drink and my mum wonders what is wrong with me 😂

No. I drink plenty of fluid, but I don't feel the need to drink with a meal unless the food is particularly dry.

The meals I made tend to have plenty of liquid in them - sauces, gravy, curry, chilli, salad, lots of vegetables etc.

I never drank much as a kid, I don't remember ever taking water to school as kids do now. I drink water throughout the day now and I'm always reminding dd to take water with her when she goes out. I'd feel weird if I didn't have a bottle of water with me when I go out

Nothing morally or culturally wrong with them, but I wonder do they get constipated?

Yes. It is totally weird to me to not have any soft drinks at all in the house. I don't like fizzy drinks...but I like juices, smoothies, squash, cordials.

DH and I don't drink sweet soft drinks as a rule. Not because we dislike them, we just aren't in the habit of doing so. We drink water, tea, coffee, beer, wine or gin and tonic.

We currently have some J2O, lemonade and tonic water as soft drink options. We also have some squash and Rio as DD has moved home temporarily.

If I had guests coming who liked a particular soft drink I would get some in as I like to think that I know how to be a good host. This is why we have some J2O as DD's best friend drinks that when she visits.

They literally only drink tea when they're out. Tonight they'll drink nothing after about 4pm.

I'll have to go to the shops. They'll be offended, though.

@OptimismvsRealism Has the option to boil tap water as it's considered unsafe from the tap.

Her choice not to do this.

To wonder what is wrong with people who don't really drink

Why must there be something wrong with them.

What is it about MN that if a person doesn't like/do as another person does/likes there's something wrong with them, issues is what you've got according to some MN's if you just happen to have an opinion that's different.

There's probably nothing wrong with them, it's just that at that particular time they don't want a drink.

But, I'm one that does drink, only one soft drink when eating out because my prefered choice is water, preferably a jug as I drink a lot.

I think just get in the car and get some water and some drinks.

Cover it by saying « gosh, I realised last night we really should have brought something- how rude of us! »

I don't have any of those types of drinks in my house. Water, tea, coffee, wine. That's it.

They'll be offended if you make out that you've been forced to go to the shops because they are bad hosts for having failed to anticipate your needs. (Which they are, but never mind.)

So don't present it that way. If you don't want to offend them, pretend that their habits are perfectly reasonable and it's you who is the quirky one: "I know you'll think this is really silly of me, but I am used to drinking xyz at home and I'm finding it hard to manage without it! Well, we all have our little ways, don't we. I'm just going to the shops to get some. Can I get you anything while I'm out?"