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Feature
I Heart Water Initiative
WAllison Nelson, MS, RD, LDN, Supervisor, Mecklenburg County Public Health
ater is essential to life, and drinking the recommended • If you have vending machines in your office or building, take time to
amount of water in a day is a simple way to improve see what kinds of beverages are offered and if they are low-calorie.
health. However, many people do not drink the If you’d like to see healthier drink options made available, work with
suggested amount and, instead, turn to high-calorie your vendor to include healthier beverages, like water.
beverages to quench their thirst (Park et. al., 2012). To address this issue, • Planning a professional conference, lunch-and-learn or office party?
Mecklenburg County Public Health, Charlotte Water and Healthy Weight, Consider replacing your tea and soda offerings with a “make your
Healthy Child have announced the I Heart Water initiative. Focused on own” water station that includes various fruits, vegetables and herbs for
lowering the county’s rates of chronic disease and obesity, the I Heart a custom, infused-water drink.
Water initiative is working to encourage residents — young and old — The I Heart Water initiative is a fluid (pun intended!) project that
to adopt water as their go-to is going to continue to change to meet the needs of the community.
drink where they live, What will not change is our commitment to positively impact chronic
work and play. disease prevalence in our community through the improvement of
We are confident we water consumption. As the initiative grows, we will look to our partners
can achieve our goals and supporters in helping us make meaningful and sustainable change
with your support. As within our many communities. We invite you to connect with us on our
a medical provider, you website at www.iheartwaternc.com and on Facebook, Instagram and
have the credibility and an Twitter if you would like to learn more about how you can be a part of
opportunity to influence this initiative.
children, parents and adults Water — it’s all you, and it’s time we start drinking more of it.
about the amazing benefits Reference
drinking plain water has Park, S., Blanck, H., Sherry, B., Brener, N., O’Toole, T. (2012). Factors
on the body. With constant
contact at all levels of associated with low water intake among U.S. high school students –
our community, medical National youth physical activity and nutrition study, 2010. Journal of the
providers are primed to be key allies and supporters of the I Heart Water Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 112(9). 1421-1427.
initiative. Incorporating the health benefits of
water into patient interaction is quite easy and
requires nothing more than answering a simple
question about how individuals are doing with
water consumption.
As an advantage to this initiative, Charlotte-Mecklenburg is fortunate
to have access to some of the cleanest consumable water in the country.
Our partners at Charlotte Water work tirelessly to ensure water flowing
from the tap is free and clear of harmful chemicals and toxins. Per the
2015 Drinking Water Quality Report, Charlotte’s water not only met, but
exceeded, all state and federal drinking water standards — an incredible
accomplishment! The next time you need a drink of water, we encourage
you to consider the good, old-fashioned tap. And, compared to bottled
water, tap water is the more sustainable choice.
Wondering how you can help support the I Heart Water initiative?
Consider these few suggestions:
• Encourage patients, families and employees to drink water, instead of
sugary drinks, by making it more accessible in your practice facility
(refreshment stations) or cafeterias. Consider adding public water
fountains, water coolers and/or signage that is visible and highlights the
many benefits of drinking water.
• Provide a few fun tips during your rounds/interactions with patients on
why they should drink more water, and ways they can make drinking
water fun.
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