National Clinical Care Commission Makes Drinking Water Recommendations to Congress

In a recent report to Congress, the National Clinical Care Commission emphasized the importance of moving people from consumption of sugary drinks to plain water as a key strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes in the United States.

Pages 38-41 of the report, "Leveraging Federal Programs to Prevent and Control Diabetes and Its Complications,” provide the following recommendations, long-supported by the National Drinking Water Alliance:

Recommendation 4.4: The National Clinical Care Commission recommends that all relevant federal agencies promote the consumption of water and reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in the U.S. population, and that they employ all the necessary tools to achieve these goals, including education, communication, accessibility, water infrastructure, and sugar-sweetened beverage taxation.

4.4a. USDA should add a symbol for drinking water to the MyPlate graphic and increase water promotion messaging in all consumer-facing materials issued by its Center for Nutrition Policy Promotion. Water is not currently depicted on the USDA MyPlate.

4.4b. Child nutrition programs should be a conduit for education to promote consumption of water and reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. USDA should encourage hydrating with water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages and provide safe water education in WIC nutrition education and in childcare settings. Congress should harness the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act to strengthen existing water provisions for school nutrition programs.