outline

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Knowledge of the Health Benefits of Water Must Increase

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that there is not much display on the health benefits

of water. This can be solved by petitioning this concern to major water bottle companies which

will then have them create advertisements on the health benefits of drinking water.

Central Idea: The lack of knowledge on the health benefits of water is a social problem that

results in individuals making uninformed decisions about drinking water and the best way to

solve this problem is to have water bottle companies advertise water’s health benefits.

INTRODUCTION

I. "It was astounding to me, that so many children said they drink no water at all… And

even among the kids who were drinking water — they weren't drinking very much of it”

(Harris).

II. I am here to tackle the problem of why so many people do not know the major health

benefits of drinking water.

III. Like in the article written by Harris, I know what it is like to not drink much water,

because, most of my life, I drank 1-2 cups of water until about two years ago. As I talked

to a friend of mine I asked him, “Why do you drink so much water?” he replied,

“Because you need water and water is very important” as he chugged down about a litre

of water in one sitting. After talking to more people like him I started to wonder how

important water was to our health.

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IV. We are all faced with a variety of options on what drinks to consume on a daily basis.

While many drinks may taste good, not all of them are beneficial for our health. I will be

here to tell you why you should choose water as the primary fluid of choice.

V. This speech will explain why there is a lack of knowledge regarding the health benefits of

drinking water and how this problem can be solved with a greater distribution of this

knowledge. I believe this knowledge would be best distributed if major water bottle

companies took the step of advertising these benefits to their consumers.

Transition: First I will explain why not many people are aware of the health benefits of water.

PROBLEM

I. There is not much display of the health benefits of water.

A. In a study, researchers performed a reflex task where they did not allow participants to

eat or drink for a night. After participants first competed the task, the researchers

recorded their reaction times. They then performed the task again after these participants

re-hydrated themselves, “Reaction times ran 14 percent shorter after drinking water.

People with the greater cravings experienced a bigger mental lift after being re-hydrated”

(Akpan 2013). This later led them to conclude, “Drinking water, the researchers found,

can improve the brain's ability to complete tasks that require a rapid response” (Akpan

2013).

1. This quote explains how reflexes are faster when properly hydrated.

2. This piece of information seems nice to know but it would most likely not be

known to an individual unless they have actually done research on the benefits of

water. I sure did not know that if I am dehydrated my overall reflexes would be

slower until I started this research project.

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B. “Drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water can act as a digestive aid. Proper

digestion makes minerals and nutrients more accessible to the body” (Borelli, 2016).

1. This quote explains how water helps our digestive system digest properly and

allows our intestines to absorb nutrients better.

2. There are people who have health problems related to digestive health such as

constipation due to malnutrition where if this information was made known to

them, they probably would not struggle as much with this problem. Other

symptoms such as dry skin, dry lips, tiredness, and headaches can also be caused

by a lack of consumption of water.

Transition: There are some nice health benefits people are missing out on due to a lack of

knowledge concerning water, however, now I will discuss why caffeinated drinks are favorited

among Americans instead of water.

II. Many people drink fluids high in caffeine instead of including more water in their diet.

A. “Research suggests that comprehensive changes can have a positive effect, but small-

scale changes may potentially backfire unless complemented with nutrition education and

other initiatives to improve the nutritional quality of other foods and beverages within

and outside of school” (Taber, Chriqui, Vuillaume & Chaloupka, 2015).

1. This information was provided after researchers finished their research on how

schools can improve beverage selection among high school students. They found

out that taking away soda from the vending machines does not make students

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consume less soda but educating students on the nutritional quality of foods and

drinks will help them improve their dietary decision making.

2. This quote also shows us that we must know what liquids are providing us in

order to make better decisions in regards to beverage consumption.

B. “Despite the importance of water it is often the overlooked nutrient… In water’s place

we guzzle coffee, tea, colas, alcohol and flavored drinks - beverages that don’t help us go

the extra mile the way water can. Caffeinated and alcohol containing drinks are diuretics

and foster water loss” (Tucker, 2011).

1. Whether we are comparing this statistic to college students, professors, or

children, we can all have more water in our diet. By replacing caffeinated drinks

with water we can easily meet our dietary needs.

2. Water is accessible to the majority of Americans, however, it is an overlooked

nutrient. Since water is often not seen as important fluid, many people miss out on

its health benefits.

C. “The average daily intake is 3.9 cups per individual” (Sebastion, Enns, & Goldmman,

2011).

1. This statistic was given on the U.S consumption of water. The data shown on

this government website shows that Americans are drinking much less than the

recommended eight cups!

2. In the same article it mentioned that nearly 24% of Americans do not drink any

water at all (Sebastion et al., 2011). We can see again how water is being

overlooked as a necessary part of the human diet.

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Transition: We can see how the lack of knowledge on water can effect a group of people, now

let’s see how this knowledge of water can be made known more by spreading awareness of its

benefits.

SATISFACTION

I. We can satisfy the need of having more people aware of the benefits of drinking water by

spreading knowledge to consumers. We can also look back in history when people have changed

their dietary habits as health researchers discovered new ways to improve the human diet.

A. Let’s look at how water compares to coffee in regards to the spread of knowledge of

each drink. “With a reasonable amount of consumption of caffeine (approximately 250

mg) individuals will notice that they feel less sleepy and are more alert”. Coffee is also

known to respond quickly in the body, “One of the largest benefits associated with

consuming caffeine is that it works relatively quickly within the human body” (Health

Research Funding, 2014).

1. In America, many coffee consumers are already aware of the benefits of

drinking coffee which is why it is so highly favored.

2. The health benefits of water may not manifest as quickly as drinking coffee but

if people had a good grasp of the benefits of water as they do with coffee, there

would be a greater possibility of more water consumption.

B. At Harvard’s School of Public Health, students concluded how following the

government’s healthy eating guidelines such as the “Food Pyramind” or “My Plate” lead

to a lower risk of heart disease and premature death. They mentioned how in the 1990s

the USDA created the “Healthy Eating Index” which was to measure how well

Americans are following the recommended food guidelines. They said, “A score of 100

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meant following the federal recommendations to the letter while a score of 0 meant

totally ignoring them.” It was found that men and women who scored highest in the

Healthy Eating Index had a much less chance of obtaining chronic diseases as well as

heart diseases.

1. The government provided this information to the general public which allowed

people to make the choice for following these guidelines.

2. While some people ignored these guidelines, others followed them which

helped them achieve better overall health.

C. “On June 16, 2015, the FDA took action that will significantly reduce the use of

Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs), the major source of artificial trans fats in the food

supply. This action is expected to reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of

fatal heart attacks each year in the United States” (FDA, 2016).

1. We can see here the action from the FDA was done once the problem was

realized.

2. While the lack of drinking water does not weaken one’s health as much as

consuming trans fats, we can see how taking action to a public concern has the

chance to greatly effect a population group.

II. Knowledge on the health benefits water can be distributed to consumers by letting major

water bottle companies know of this lack of knowledge. If major water bottle companies know

our concerns, they can then act on our petitions and distribute this knowledge to their consumers

using advertisements.

A. Water bottle providers can create commercials on the benefits of water which will

help others see the change that can happen in their own bodies.

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1. Major companies are always seeking better ways to serve their consumers.

Letting companies know our concerns will allow them to take our thoughts into

consideration and even act on them.

2. Not only will consumers benefit from these commercials but the water bottle

companies as well. As they take this new approach of advertising, they can reach

a larger audience which may also bring more people to buy their product. This

result would further their reasoning on acting on our petitions.

B. From personal experience I notice a lot of water bottle companies link their brand to

nature. Nature may draw the attention of the human eye because of its natural beauty, but

having a commercial that looks more visually appealing does not give consumers any

solid reasoning for choosing their product.

1. There is an Ice Mountain commercial I watched that describes its water for

being, “Pure and Crisp.” It illustrates how water is unique by the way it splashes

in rivers and how it falls down in water falls. However, how does this help their

audience? This may bring people to buy their product due to the nice illustrations

but there is nothing the audience can take away through watching this

commercial.

C. Commercials including the health benefits of water will help consumers have a better

foundation on why they should choose water.

1. Like I said earlier in the speech, how will people change their dietary habits

without first being introduced to another option that provides more appealing

results?

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2. A lot of people consider water important only while they are thirsty. I believe if

people had better knowledge on the overall health effects from drinking water,

more people will drink it.

III. Visualization

A. Taking action on this problem can help Americans make better decisions concerning

their dietary habits, choosing water as their go to fluid.

1. If many Americans do not know the benefits of drinking water, let’s be the

ones who can make it known to them.

2. As water is chosen more, America can become a healthier nation.

B. I believe this information on water can be best distributed once major water bottle

companies take the step of advertising these benefits.

1. Major water bottle companies have the greatest access to consumers so they

would make the greatest impact in reaching the public.

C. As awareness grows, people will no longer have to overlook the most commonly

distributed drink. People can now acknowledge the health benefits of water before

choosing from a variety of drinks.

1. As I said in my last speech, the recommended cups of water are about eight

cups, and with more knowledge on water, more people may attempt to reach this

dietary recommendation.

Transition: In saying all of this, I believe that change can happen! We just got to put our

knowledge to use in order to inform others.

CONCLUSION

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I. There are problems that arise due to a lack of knowledge but there are also solutions that

can be formed to take away this issue.

II. Here I have a petition which will be passed around during the speech. This petition is

supporting the fact that knowledge on the health benefits of water should increase and

how some major water bottle companies can help us spread this knowledge. This is a

friendly petition to the companies and we are letting our concerns be made known.

III. Knowledge is power. Let’s use our knowledge on water to switch up the way we choose

our drinks and help others make this change as well.

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REFERENCES

Akpan, N (2013). Stay Hydrated, Stay Smart: Quenching Thirst With Water Boosts Brain Power.

Medical Daily. http://www.medicaldaily.com/stay-hydrated-stay-smart-quenching-thirst-

water-boosts-brain-power-247723

Borelli, L (2016). Benefits Of Drinking Water: H2O Nourishes The Digestive System, Helps

With Fluid Balance. Medical Daily. http://www.medicaldaily.com/health-benefits-

drinking-water-digestive-system-fluid-balance-391799

FDA. (2016). Talking About Trans Fat. Fda.Org.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm079609.htm

Harris, R. (2015). Got Water? Most Kids, Teens Don’t Drink Enough. Npr.org.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/06/11/413674246/got-water-most-kids-

teens-dont-drink-enough

Harvard School of Public Health. (2011). Healthy Eating Plate & Eating Pyramid.Harvard.edu.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

Health Research Funding. (2014). 24 Remarkable Caffeine Consumption Statistics.

http://healthresearchfunding.org/remarkable-caffeine-consumption-statistics/

Sebastian, R., Enns, C., Goldman, J. Drinking Water Intake in the U.S. (2011). Usda.gov.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/DBrief/7_water_intakes_0508.pd

f

Taber, D. R., Chriqui, J. F., Vuillaume, R., & Chaloupka, F.J. (2014). How State Taxes and

Policies Targeting Soda Consumption Modify the Association between School Vending

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Machines and Student Dietary Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Plos ONE, 9(8),

1-8. doi: 10.371/jornal.pone.0098249

Tucker, S. (2011). Two Thirds of Americans Don’t drink enough. Boston College.

http://www.bc.edu/offices/dining/nutrition/topics/drinkenough.html