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In support group meetings the experienced band patients frequently tell the newer patients to drink more water and that water is their new “best friend.”  Here are some interesting facts about water that I recently came across:  

• About 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated and don’t drink enough water. 
• Even mild dehydration will slow down a person’s metabolism by about 3%. 
• About 37% of Americans have a weak thirst mechanism and mistake thirst for hunger pangs.  Interestingly, this is also about the percentage of obesity. 
• A University of Washington study found that on dieters, one full glass of water shut down night hunger pangs on nearly 100% of study participants. 

The average person should be drinking at least 8 glasses (8 oz.) of water each day.  Of course this amount should be increased with physical activity, hot weather, illness or pregnancy, or any other factor that can increase dehydration.  An extra 1 ½ to 2 ½ cups of water should be enough for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour requires more water intake. 

– Dr. Darren Soong