Water, water everywhere, but no real need for it. Why do people not believe this?

ElderLemon · 2024-12-19T08:01:16+00:00

The evidence is clear that unless we are elderly, we can just drink when thirsty and be absolutely fine. The need for x litres per day is just made up bollocks. But I know from multiple threads over many years that many, if not most, people on here will down right refuse to believe this. Is it just that people don't like science? I don't know why it annoys me so much, live and let live etc. But when I see all the health and beauty articles repeating it I get enraged, I really do. Anyone else? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/09/is-it-true-that-we-should-all-drink-more-water?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

NewNameNoelle · 19/12/2024 08:04

It enrages you that advice is to drink water / more water?

Some people don’t drink very much at all. I spent 8hrs in the office yesterday with a colleague, he had an energy drink for breakfast and a smoothie at lunch. That’s it. He was on the phone / talking all day. By the afternoon he had a headache, I suggested a glass of water and he looked at me as if I was mad.

Some people don’t drink enough.

NewNameNoelle · 19/12/2024 08:05

It enrages you that advice is to drink water / more water?

Some people don’t drink very much at all. I spent 8hrs in the office yesterday with a colleague, he had an energy drink for breakfast and a smoothie at lunch. That’s it. He was on the phone / talking all day. By the afternoon he had a headache, I suggested a glass of water and he looked at me as if I was mad.

Some people don’t drink enough.

biscuitsandbooks · 19/12/2024 08:06

This won't be popular on here OP - MN seems a bit weirdly obsessed with drinking litres and litres of water.

georgepigg · 19/12/2024 08:08

So don’t drink unless you’re thirsty then. Simple!

Are you concerning yourself with how much others drink?? Why?

Original poster

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:09

NewNameNoelle · 19/12/2024 08:05

It enrages you that advice is to drink water / more water?

Some people don’t drink very much at all. I spent 8hrs in the office yesterday with a colleague, he had an energy drink for breakfast and a smoothie at lunch. That’s it. He was on the phone / talking all day. By the afternoon he had a headache, I suggested a glass of water and he looked at me as if I was mad.

Some people don’t drink enough.

It does, because thirst is a sufficient indicator that we need to drink. We get most of our fluid from food. So he almost certainly didn't need a glad of water, unless he was thirsty.

OP posts:

SlightDrip · 19/12/2024 08:09

Why does it enrage you so much? I can think of candidates for much worse things people do when they ‘don’t like science’.

georgepigg · 19/12/2024 08:10

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:09

It does, because thirst is a sufficient indicator that we need to drink. We get most of our fluid from food. So he almost certainly didn't need a glad of water, unless he was thirsty.

Show quote history

Actually, thirst is often an indicator that you should have drunk a while ago. But I’m not mad if you don’t drink. Do what you want 😆

SoManyTshirts · 19/12/2024 08:11

I might be elderly, and normally subsist on gallons of tea. I’ve been fatigued lately and after googling I’ve found that remembering to drink more does help, and also makes me sit down occasionally.

Is the rage because you’re being told the cure for what ails you is something you already do? Life can be more complicated.

balletflats · 19/12/2024 08:11

We were told to teach this message when I started teaching back in 2000, so most young working people today will have been totally indoctrinated. The upper KS2 kids I work with now suckle on their water bottles the whole day long. I expect they have healthy kidneys, though. It was supposed to improve the brain's ability to learn, but I think that was disproved as unless the child is actually suffering from dehydration the body prioritises the brain. It could be worse, though. A lot of young people feel that they need to drink Monster energy drinks constantly. I wonder what the health implications of that will be?

UghFletcher · 19/12/2024 08:12

Have you tried getting some therapy? Fair enough, some people drink a lot - maybe they are genuinely thirsty? But to be enraged? I think you need to see someone about this

Hillrunning · 19/12/2024 08:12

I can't tell when I'm thirsty. Relying on that as a trigger wouldn't work for me. I manage to remember about half a glass of water a day. It isn't enough, I don't feel good.

WoahThreeAces · 19/12/2024 08:13

NHS recommends 6-8 glasses of fluids a day, to avoid dehydration.

Original poster

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:13

SlightDrip · 19/12/2024 08:09

Why does it enrage you so much? I can think of candidates for much worse things people do when they ‘don’t like science’.

Actually lots of things enrage me but I saw the Guardian article this morning and is reminded me of this one! 😂

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Doveyouknow · 19/12/2024 08:15

I don't understand why people think that being thirsty is a sign you should've drunk something a while ago. No one suggests you should proactively avoid being hungry (in fact the opposite is true). So why is being thirsty seen as something to avoid?

Ifailed · 19/12/2024 08:15

I don't care how much water people drink, but I do object to thousands of gallons of it being shipped around the world and then sold in single use bottles (some of which) end up littering our land.

helpfulperson · 19/12/2024 08:16

I understand the annoyance. It's not particularly this topic, its that people blindly follow whatever the latest Internet 'guru' tells them and are not interested in the science says.

Original poster

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:16

Doveyouknow · 19/12/2024 08:15

I don't understand why people think that being thirsty is a sign you should've drunk something a while ago. No one suggests you should proactively avoid being hungry (in fact the opposite is true). So why is being thirsty seen as something to avoid?

Excellent point, I never thought of this one before.

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HelpMeGetThrough · 19/12/2024 08:17

A lot of young people feel that they need to drink Monster energy drinks constantly. I wonder what the health implications of that will be?

I had one of those once when I had a 400 mile drive home after a day in the office.

Implications for me was having to stop at every bloody motorway services for a slash!

Never touched them again!!

Fizbosshoes · 19/12/2024 08:18

I drink 500ml water on a good day, maybe more if I've done a long (10 mile +) run. Yesterday between leaving the house at 8.30am and getting home at 7pm , I had 500ml water and 2 soft drinks (330ml each)

I've read about people drinking 4-6 litres of water/day and I honestly don't know how I would get anything done in a day between drinking and weeing! 🤣

Original poster

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:18

Hillrunning · 19/12/2024 08:12

I can't tell when I'm thirsty. Relying on that as a trigger wouldn't work for me. I manage to remember about half a glass of water a day. It isn't enough, I don't feel good.

Highly unusual I would think as humans have a thirst mechanism for survival purposes. Maybe you should check it out?

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Pat888 · 19/12/2024 08:18

I used to cycle ? 2–3 miles to primary school and back in the early 60s - only water available was a drinking fountain in the playground and water on the table at lunchtime . I hardly remember kids drinking anything. Possibly we ate less and less salty which maybe helped.

georgepigg · 19/12/2024 08:18

Doveyouknow · 19/12/2024 08:15

I don't understand why people think that being thirsty is a sign you should've drunk something a while ago. No one suggests you should proactively avoid being hungry (in fact the opposite is true). So why is being thirsty seen as something to avoid?

Because hydration affects the function of our organs. I don’t understand why people get enraged about how much people drink but different strokes for different folks hey? 😄

NewNameNoelle · 19/12/2024 08:18

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:09

It does, because thirst is a sufficient indicator that we need to drink. We get most of our fluid from food. So he almost certainly didn't need a glad of water, unless he was thirsty.

Show quote history

Perhaps he wasn’t thirsty and the headache wasn’t linked, perhaps it was, we won’t ever know.

A glass of water when presenting with a headache after a day of talking and not much liquid is pretty standard and useful advice. I don’t think a small meal deal smoothie and an energy drink is much in 8hrs for an active person when the NHS suggest 6-8 glasses a day, sorry if this enrages you. My quiet suggestion of some water isn’t part of a cult of hydration, just common sense in the circumstances.

And yes, some people drink too much, carrying around large bottles and constantly sipping. But in the whole scheme of things to worry about, it doesn’t feature highly on my list. Let them drink, what’s the issue?

Original poster

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:19

UghFletcher · 19/12/2024 08:12

Have you tried getting some therapy? Fair enough, some people drink a lot - maybe they are genuinely thirsty? But to be enraged? I think you need to see someone about this

😂

OP posts:

verycloakanddaggers · 19/12/2024 08:21

ElderLemon · 19/12/2024 08:09

It does, because thirst is a sufficient indicator that we need to drink. We get most of our fluid from food. So he almost certainly didn't need a glad of water, unless he was thirsty.

Show quote history

He had a headache, and inadequate hydration is a very common cause, so having a drink is good advice as a first step.

It's better not to get to the point of thirst or headaches really.