Water Intake and Weight Management Strategies

Water plays a pivotal role in human physiology and has emerged as a key factor in strategies to control body weight. Adequate hydration influences energy balance through multiple mechanisms, including modulation of appetite, dilution of caloric intake when replacing sugar-sweetened beverages and enhancement of metabolic processes linked to energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Drinking water before meals can promote a sensation of fullness, leading to reduced food consumption, while cold water may transiently increase metabolic rate by inducing a thermogenic response. Substitution of water for caloric drinks not only lowers overall energy intake but also improves glucose and insulin regulation over time. Patterns of intake—such as timing, volume and temperature—interact with individual characteristics, including genetic predisposition to obesity, to shape adiposity outcomes. Emerging digital tools and behaviour-change interventions offer novel approaches to monitor and encourage timely fluid consumption, extending the practical application of hydration strategies across diverse populations. Collectively, current evidence underscores both the global significance of promoting plain water and the need to tailor recommendations to individual metabolic profiles and lifestyle contexts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Water Intake and Weight Management Strategies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in water intake and weight management strategies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Randomised controlled trial (RCT): An experimental study design in which participants are randomly allocated to intervention or control groups to assess the effect of an intervention.

Body mass index (BMI): A measure of body fat based on weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared.

Waist circumference (WC): A measurement around the abdomen at a specified anatomical point, used as an indicator of central adiposity.

Energy expenditure (EE): The amount of energy, measured in calories or joules, that a person uses to maintain basic bodily functions and physical activities.

Fat oxidation (FO): The metabolic process by which fatty acids are broken down to produce energy, often enhanced under conditions of adequate hydration and low carbohydrate availability.

References

1. Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy. PLOS Digital Health (2024).
2. Negative, Null and Beneficial Effects of Drinking Water on Energy Intake, Energy Expenditure, Fat Oxidation and Weight Change in Randomized Trials: A Qualitative Review. Nutrients (2016).
3. Water intake and obesity: By amount, timing, and perceived temperature of drinking water. PLOS ONE (2024).
4. Water Intake and Adiposity Outcomes among Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients (2024).