Hydration as a Potential Modulator of Body Composition in Males and Females: A Literature Review

The rising prevalence of obesity and overweight has become a pressing public health concern, one that needs an innovative solution.Recent studies have highlighted a crucial link between hydration and body composition, particularly body fat percentage.Despite the importance of adequate water intake, the average American child (12 years of age) and adult consume only 3.875 cups/day and 5.5 cups/day, respectively, falling short of the recommended daily intake of 8-11 cups/day for children and 11.5 cups/day for women and 15.5 cups/day for men.This review's objective is to investigate the relationship between water intake and body composition by critically evaluating existing literature.By analyzing findings from multiple studies, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how water consumption influences body composition and explore whether increasing water intake could be a viable strategy for mitigating the obesity and overweight epidemic and improving public health outcomes.The simple approach of setting guidelines as to how much water one should drink may offer a promising solution to address this complex public health challenge without the use of popular weight-loss drugs such as Semaglutide or Tirzepatide.