Serving water with school lunches 'can improve children's health'
Schools could make a big impact on children's long-term health by serving plain water with school lunches, according to a new study.
Carried out by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the analysis examined the benefits of a nationwide expansion of a pilot programme placing water dispensers in the cafeterias of 1,200 primary and secondary-equivalent schools in New York between 2009 and 2013.
It was found that this simple intervention resulted in the consumption of water at lunchtime by students seeing a threefold increase, with small but significant declines in their risks of being overweight observed one year later.
According to the researchers, these dietary adjustments at a formative age have the potential to lead to permanent reductions in the incidence of adults who are overweight or obese, as well as decreased medical costs on a nationwide level in future, plus a reduction of indirect costs from absenteeism and reduced productivity in later life.
Although it was noted that those who drank more plain water consumed significantly less whole milk at lunchtime, it was determined that this was unlikely to pose any nutritional risk, suggesting that providing water for students represents an easy way to improve the health and wellbeing of students.
University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Ruopeng An said: "The nutrition profile doesn't change much when people increase their plain-water intake, but we do see a significant drop in their saturated fat and sugar intake.
"While there might potentially be some problems if children consume less whole milk, I would say those are probably minor in comparison with the costs associated with the skyrocketing rates of childhood overweight and obesity."
Sign up to posts
Related jobs
Salary
£30,000 - 43,685 per day
Location free text
Devizes
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Cover Supervisor
Location
Wiltshire
Description
Location: LavingtonJob Type: Full-time, permanentStart date: September 2024Salary: Competitive, based on experienceThe Secondary School, based in Lavington is a vibrant and inclusive educational ins
Reference
CSLV29
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Dorset & Hants SecondaryAuthor
Dorset & Hants SecondarySalary
£400 - 480 per week
Location free text
Bolton
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
Less than £500 per week
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
SEN General
Location
Greater Manchester
Description
Trainee Special Educational Needs AssistantAre you a caring, compassionate and wanting to gain hands on experience with Special Educational Needs?Looking for a new, rewarding career in education?Teach
Reference
454SJITARHSSS
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Manchester West SENAuthor
Manchester West SENSalary
£30k - 36k per year
Location free text
Wythenshawe
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£30,000 - £39,999
Sector
Teacher
Location
Wythenshawe
Description
The PWR team at Teaching Personnel is collaborating with a growing SEMH Multi-school Trust based in Northenden, seeking a dedicated Secondary SEMH Teacher to join their dynamic team. With a commitment
Reference
J541
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Permanent StaffingAuthor
Permanent StaffingSalary
£30,000 - 41,333 per year + benefits
Location free text
Whitchurch
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Teacher
Location
Hampshire
Description
EYFS Teacher VacancyOur Partnership School in Farnborough are seeking to appoint a positive and inspiring teacher for Year 3 from May 2024. The school is ideally looking for an experienced KS2 Teacher
Reference
T-Whit-LC-1
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Hampshire PrimaryAuthor
Hampshire PrimarySalary
£100 per day
Location free text
Lewisham
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
Less than £100 per day
Sector
SEND Support
Location
Lewisham
Description
SEMH Teaching Assistant - UnqualifiedA fantastic Primary School in the Borough of Lewisham are looking to recruit an SEMH Teaching Assistant - Unqualified. The role of SEMH Teaching Assistant - Unqual
Reference
JM8987651TP
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
London SENAuthor
London SENSalary
£30,000 - 41,333 per day + benefits
Location free text
Farnborough
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Teacher
Location
Hampshire
Description
EYFS Teacher VacancyOur Partnership School in Farnborough are seeking to appoint a positive and inspiring teacher for EYFS from May 2024. The school is ideally looking for an experienced EYFS Teacher,
Reference
T-Farnb-LC-1
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Hampshire PrimaryAuthor
Hampshire PrimarySalary
£30,000 - 41,333 per day + benefits
Location free text
Basingstoke
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Teacher
Location
Basingstoke
Description
EYFS Teacher VacancyOur Partnership School in Basingstoke are seeking to appoint a positive and inspiring teacher for EYFS from May 2024. The school is ideally looking for an experienced EYFS Teacher,
Reference
T-Bstoke-LC-1
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Hampshire PrimaryAuthor
Hampshire PrimarySalary
£140 - 250 per day
Location free text
Dartford
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
£200 - £299 per day
Sector
KS2 - Year 5
Location
Dartford
Description
Teaching Personnel are working alongside a school in the Dartford area who are looking to recruit a Full Time Year 5 Teacher. This role is currently starting in September until the end of the academic
Reference
y5teacher
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
London SouthAuthor
London SouthSalary
£85 - 95 per day
Location free text
Plymouth
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
SEND Support
Location
Plymouth
Description
Job Opportunity: Learning Mentor (SEMH Provision)We're seeking a dedicated Learning Mentor to join our team, working within a supportive SEMH provision in Plymouth. This role, starting June 2024, offe
Reference
Learning Mentor (SEM
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Plymouth BranchAuthor
Plymouth BranchSalary
£12.90 - 13.50 per hour
Location free text
Haywards Heath
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Primary SEN Support
Location
Haywards Heath
Description
Autism Support sought in Haywards Heath, immediately! Are you a talented Learning support assistant seeking to make an impact in the SEN realm, working particularly with a children with Autism? If you
Reference
Autism LSA FT
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Brighton PrimaryAuthor
Brighton PrimaryRelated posts
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD03YY
Summary
Planning for the Easter break? The Teaching Personnel payroll team wants to make sure you get paid on time. This table outlines the Easter 2024 payroll date, along with the corresponding deadline
by
Adam Davies
Teaser
Supply TeachingContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD01YY
Summary
Table of Contents 1. Why do people become supply teachers? 2. What does it take to become a supply teacher? 3. How can I find work as a supply teacher? <!-- b--> 4. How shou
by
Alex Schulte
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD01YY
Summary
Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in schools is a critical aspect of education that demands attention in 2024. According to the Department for Education, over 1.5 million pupils in England
Teaser
Multi-Academy TrustsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD11YY
Summary
Laura Williams is an education leadership coach with fifteen years of leadership experience in education across business, operations, HR, finance and governance. She is a former Business Manager, CO
by
Scott Owen
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD11YY
Summary
Creating a safe and nurturing environment for pupils is paramount in the age of evolving social dynamics. One issue that has gained significant attention in recent years is the distinction between
by
Adam Davies
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD11YY
Summary
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson addressed the Labour Party conference in October, where she announced plans to reform primary maths. Currently, one in four children leave primary school
Teaser
Tips and AdviceContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD10YY
Summary
Mock exams are a crucial milestone in a pupil's academic journey, serving as a practice run for the real deal. As educators, you play a pivotal role in helping pupils navigate through these trial ex
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD09YY
Summary
In the fast-moving world of education, headteachers and schools face the challenge of ensuring a continuous and reliable supply of qualified teachers. Unforeseen teacher absences due to staff sickness
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD09YY
Summary
Embarking on the journey to become an educator is both exhilarating and demanding. The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is crucial to achieving your teaching ambitions. The road ahead
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD08YY
Summary
Teaching is a rewarding profession that plays a crucial role in shaping our society's future. However, it comes with its challenges. The workload can be demanding, which might sometimes lead to feelin
Register with us
for a choice of classroom roles
Register today
Recent job