Wellness Alert – Take Action for Water

Did you know that between 50-75% of your body is made of water? Drinking enough water to keep your body hydrated is an important part of staying healthy for kids and adults.

One of the simplest ways that we can make sure that kids are drinking adequate water (and skipping the sugar-sweetened beverages!) is to include access to drinking water in school wellness policies. Including water in your policy helps to keep it top of mind for school staff and ensures that water won’t become less of a priority if the administration changes.

Now is a great time for schools to update their wellness policies. All schools participating in federal nutrition programs must update their policies to comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final rule by June 30, 2017.

Need help drafting the language to include in your policy? The National Drinking Water Alliance Take Action webpage can help you make the case for water and guides you to the specific and actionable language you need to support:

Drinking water quality
Appealing, available water sources
Drinking water promotion

You can also visit WellnessW ins.org, a campaign run by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids Initiative, to learn more about the final rule and get tips and resources to help schools and districts comply with the new guidelines. Remember, when we work together to support kids’ health, wellness wins!