Making fresh, cold drinking water more available to students in New York City schools was associated with lower student weight, according to a new study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
The city’s health department installed new “water jet” fountains in 483 of the district’s 1,227 schools. The fountains were associated with a lower risk of being overweight, 0.9 percentage point for boys and 0.6 percentage point for girls.
Boys and girls also saw slight decreases inbody mass index over the next year. Students in schools that received a fountain purchased on average 12 fewer half-pints of milk the following year.
