Water-drinking culture is out of control

[Anonymous]

I’m old enough to remember when people started drinking water ostentatiously and those plastic bottles of water started taking off, in the 90s. At this point, all these new “reusable” bottles end up in thrift stores, landfills etc and all the water drinkers get new Yetis, Stanleys, etc regularly.

Every business meeting I attend at least half of the room has their massive emotional security water jug and I can’t help but think they all look like toddlers drinking from a sippy cup.

What happened to filling a cup with water, drinking it, and moving on with your life? When did everyone get so thirsty?

The movement has gone too far.

[Anonymous]

LOL.

[Anonymous]

It’s so weird. I guess I’m not a thirsty person … carrying a water bottle around strikes me as an imposition, not a necessity.

[Anonymous]

I completely agree with you, OP.

[Anonymous]

I am very prone to headaches and constipation and staying fully hydrated helps both. Sorry if it offends you?

[Anonymous]

I heard the term emotional support water bottle a few months ago and it makes me giggle every time I think of it. That is 100% me. I have developed a fear of being caught without water, though I lived the first 30 years of my life never worrying about that.

[Anonymous]

My friend turned up with the biggest water bottle I've ever seen. I think it could be called a water barrel. It has lines with times of the day and how much to drink and when. It is bigger than a milk gallon and she carries it everywhere, dutifully drinking her daily water. She reports that she feels so much better. I didn't get to talk to her much because she repeatedly went to the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

I'm not American, and I think all the little desk job people with huge water bottles are hilarious. If you're a roofer in 90F temps, of course you need extra water and electrolytes. But a worker bee in an air-conditioned building?

Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am very prone to headaches and constipation and staying fully hydrated helps both. Sorry if it offends you?

This is OP. I drink a LOT of water - probably 2L a day. Somehow I do this without lugging around a huge water bottle: this is my qualm.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you OP. I have kidney disease, which means I have to stay on top of hydration. I drink a glass of water with meals and then anytime I do something dehydrating -- exercise, time in the heat, etc. I don't drink alcohol, partly due to my condition, but if I did I know drinking extra water is important to helping your body process it (my urologist recommends a glass of water after every alcoholic beverage).

Despite this, I rarely carry water bottles. I have one for the gym or to take on hikes, and I make sure I have one on me for travel since a change in schedule is a common dehydration risk. But when I see people carrying these comically large water bottles for school drop off, meetings, etc., it's so performative.

Sometimes I wonder if it's not actually water.

[Anonymous]

My company encourages zero waste/limited plastics so disposable cups are not available. Everyone carries water bottles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend turned up with the biggest water bottle I've ever seen. I think it could be called a water barrel. It has lines with times of the day and how much to drink and when. It is bigger than a milk gallon and she carries it everywhere, dutifully drinking her daily water. She reports that she feels so much better. I didn't get to talk to her much because she repeatedly went to the bathroom.

😆😆😆

[Anonymous]

I get thirsty easily, especially in the summer. I just have a metal insulated 16 ounce water bottle. I love having icy cold water when it’s hot out. But I definitely do not carry it everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am very prone to headaches and constipation and staying fully hydrated helps both. Sorry if it offends you?

Maybe your headaches would go away if you had less water (you might be hypotensive), and your constipation would get better if you had more fiber in the form of whole fruits and veggies. Water by itself will just go through your system in the blink of an eye and turn to pee. Water inside fruits and vegetables will stay inside your digestive tract and help move solids along. It's not the same use of water! You don't actually NEED to lug around a huge bottle of water unless you're doing field work and have no other access to hydration.

[Anonymous]

I think the protein craze had gone too far. Water seems harmless, but truth is, you can die from drinking too much water:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1770067/

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/indiana-mom-dies-of-water-toxicity-after-drinking-too-much-water-on-vacation-family-says/3203387/?amp=1