Anecdotally, it is often said that drinking water before a meal can help a person lose weight. People tend to think that this is because a person simply feels fuller with water in his stomach, leaving less room for food. Scientifically, however, this is not the case.
Evidence
Studies have repeatedly shown that water can assist weight loss by either lowering energy intake or changing metabolism, according to research scientists in a study published in 2008 in "Obesity." Most of these studies assessed the short-term effects. However, the researchers of this study found that the effects were long-lasting, specifically over the course of 12 months.
Explained
Absolute increases in water consumption refer to the increase in the overall amount of water. Relative increase means replacing the consumption of calorie-containing beverages with drinking water. Both of these actions were each individually found to contribute to weight loss, according to the study published in 2008 in "Obesity."
Mechanism
Studies show that drinking water before a meal does not reduce how much a person consumes. Instead, water affects the metabolic processes in the body that regulate how many calories are taken in from food, according to the researchers in the 2008 "Obesity" article. This is why the researchers found that both absolute and relative consumption of water consistently sustained significant amounts of weight loss and body fat because the issue is not strictly centered on the amount of calories but also on how many of these calories the body actually takes in.
Considerations
Adults in the U.S. receive about 10 percent of their total caloric intake from sweetened caloric beverages, such as soda, according to scientists in an article published in December 2007 in "Obesity." This is problematic because sodas are thought to alter metabolism in a way that increases caloric intake from food. Also, the extra calories in such drinks are typically not compensated for by eating less. Drinking water as opposed to sweetened caloric beverages was found to decrease caloric intake over time. It was not just because of the reduction in calories from the sweetened caloric beverages, but additional, sustained deceased in calorie intake by the body.
Types
People may think they can achieve weight loss by replacing sweetened caloric beverages with drinks such as milk or 100 percent fruit juices. However, this is not the case, as mentioned in an article discussing a study published in 2008 in "Obesity." Even sweetened, low-calorie drinks can cancel out the benefits of reducing the number of sweetened, high-calorie beverages drunk. Therefore, when attempting to lose weight, your best bet is to drink water as a beverage.
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