At one point or another, most Americans have heard that they should drink about eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.
But the recommended amount of water consumption in the United States is still higher than that of many other European countries.
“So we’re still trying to define what hydration means.”Yet the scientific uncertainty over hydration hasn’t prevented Americans from applying a moralistic lens to water consumption.
Americans buy status water bottles to carry around like fashion accessories and enter their daily water consumption into fitness-tracking apps.
“Americans have this mind-set of, they’re not just drinking water, they’re competitively drinking water,” said Amanda Rollins, an American who has lived in Paris for the past six years.
Persons:
Jodi Stookey, Stookey, “, ”, we’re, they’re, Amanda Rollins
Organizations:
National Academy of Medicine
Locations:
United States, France, Italy, Europe, London, American, Paris