The Importance of Water to the Body (Research Paper Sample)

Behavior Modification
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Behavior Modification
Introduction
Water is an integral component in any form of life, and drinking enough water every day is essential for good health. While most people hold on to the belief of drinking eight glasses of water in a day, the question on how much water one should drink in a day does not have a simple answer. Numerous studies have been carried out over the decades, which have given rise to numerous recommendations on how much water one needs to drink. However, what is evident is the fact that one’s water consumption is dependent on numerous factors, some of which are one’s health, level of activity and where one lives (Doria, 2010). Despite all these, I still realize that I drink a very small amount of water in a day. Out of the widely embraced eight glasses of water in a day, I only drink about half this amount in a day. This raises the need for I to change my water drinking behavior.
Literature Review
Water is regarded as the basic chemical component in the human body that accounts for at least sixty percent of the human body weight. Every system in the human body is highly dependent on water. For instance, water flushes out toxins from vital body organs, carries important nutrients to body cells and provides a moist environment for nose, ear and throat tissues (Arnold, 2006). On the other hand, lack of enough water in the human body can result in dehydration: a condition which occurs when one does not have enough water in their body to carry out normal body functions. Mild hydration has the capacity to drain away one’s energy and result in one feeling tired upon engaging in mild physical activities.
The question on how much water the human body needs still lingers on. Every day, human beings lose water from their bodies through perspiration, breath, urine and bowel movements. In order for the human body to function properly, it needs to replenish its water supply by frequently consuming foods and beverages that contain water. According to the Institute of Medicine (AI), a healthy man needs about 13 cups, which is averagely equal to 3 liters, of total beverages within a single day while women need 9 cups, which is equal to 2.2 liters, of beverages in a day (Doria, 2006).
In the United States, water is the second most popular beverage after soft drinks. These statistics are quite worrying given that sugary, processed beverages result in massive health hazards by raising the risks of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and stroke (Ferrier, 2001). These problems can greatly be minimized if people decided to drink more water. Drinking water is quite important in weight loss as it helps one to feel full and hence consume fewer calories. Exercising also required a lot of water since vigorous physical activities force the human muscles to lose water at a rapid rate, which result in one feeling tired. Drinking water provides one with the extra energy needed to push through a set of physical exercises. Water is also essential in providing one with a clearer skin. The human body contains certain toxins that can force the skin to inflame, leading to acne and clogged pores. Drinking water helps in flushing out these harmful toxins and minimizing the risks of developing pimples. Additionally, water is essential in helping the kidneys carry out their desired function of sifting waste out of human blood and transporting urine (Popkin et al., 2010). Water also plays an integral role in pain prevention, boosting productivity, and fighting against diseases.
In the recent years, more and more people have turned to bottled drinking water. According to Arnold (2006), the global consumption of bottled water in 2004 reached 154 billion liters; 126 billion liters of which were consumed in the United States alone. The demand for bottled water has been on the rise since then; even in regions in which tap water is regarded as being safe to drink. There are several reasons why consumers turn to bottle water. In most instances, it is due to the fact that consumers believe that bottled water tends to taste better than water from taps, which most believe to be a sign for superior quality. Health conscious consumers perceive bottled water as being safer to drink and of a higher quality. The rise in the usage of bottled water represents a major change in the human ways of life, such as the fact that urbanization greatly affects the quality of water and the rising standards of living allow people to drive to far places to purchase and bring home bottled water.
One of the major factors influencing the upsurge in the consumption of bottle water is consumer dissatisfaction with tap water sensorial information that ranges from taste, color, odor and turbidity. Even though sensory information regarding the quality of drinking water is often interrelated, the importance that is attributed to each of these senses greatly varies according to time and culture (Doria, 2010). For instance, the taste of water is often attributed to its appearance or odor in western countries.
Other factors that influence the acuity of water quality include risk perceptions, contextual cues offered by the supply system, attitudes towards chemicals used in the water, trust in suppliers, familiarity with particular water properties, past issues attributed to the quality of water and information offered by interpersonal sources and the mass media. In a study conducted by Johnson (2003) on risk beliefs, it was concluded that serious environmental health issues are often found in places in which respondents reside and the low personal control over one’s health risks plays a fundamental role in influencing personal concern on the risks of drinking tap water. It is, thus, common to find that the consumption of bottled water is often much higher among communities with serious issues with their tap water.
Public knowledge also greatly influences one’s perceptions towards water consumption. In most cases, this knowledge is limited and the only source of contextual cues is derived from water pipes, taps, bottles or the characteristics of the area in which the water is consumed (Armstrong et al., 2012). Limited public knowledge regarding water resources often limited, which results in the knowledge about where the drinking water is obtained being associated with perceptions of risks and quality. Additionally, prior personal knowledge tends to have a strong impact on the quality of water and risks associated with it since people have a tendency to prefer what they are already aware of. Thus, the acceptability of water containing identical physicochemical compositions can greatly vary according to one’s geographical location.
There are interpersonal and impersonal experiences that also greatly influence one’s perception and behavior towards water consumption. While the importance of specific sources of information greatly varies geographically and is often influenced by demographics, the mass media serves as the primary source of information that publicizes certain uncommon events like water risks, which then greatly influences one’s perceptions and beliefs towards a certain source of water (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). However, mass media tends to have a very limited impact on the perception of the public towards water consumption. The impact of interpersonal sources of human behavior and perceptions is what drives the public perception towards drinking water.
Theoretical Framework
Numerous resources have been directed towards improving the safety and quality of health care services, yet major problems still persist. The implementation of interventions is designed to bring great changes to clinical practice behavior and to improve one’s perception towards behavioral change for improved health benefits (Armstrong et al., 2012). This raises the need to design implementation plans in accordance with a systematic approach that is accompanied by a strong rational for explicit reporting and design of the intervention development process.
While there are numerous theories and frameworks that influence either organizational or individual behavior, most of them do not adequately address behavior and how changes in certain behavior would result in better and improved health and wellbeing. One of the best theoretical frameworks that address this issue is the Health Belief Model (Shortridge-Baggett, 2001).
The Health Belief Model, often denoted as HBM, is a psychological model which seeks to explain and envisage health behaviors. This is accomplished by focusing on the beliefs and attitudes of individuals. The Health Belief Model was developed in the 1950s by three social psychologists, Rosenstock, Hochbaum and Kegels, in collaboration with the U.S. Public Health Services (Rural Assistance Center, 2015). This model was created in response to a failure of free tuberculosis health screening program.
This theoretical framework is founded on three basic beliefs. According to the HBM, an individual is only likely to engage in a health-related action if one feels that the negative health condition in question can be avoided; if one has a positive anticipation that by engaging in a recommended action, one would be able to avoid a negative health condition; and whether one believes that they can successfully engage in a recommended health action (Rural Assistance Center, 2015).
The Health Belief Model is founded on four constructs that represent both the net benefits and the perceived threats. These constructs include perceived benefits, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and perceived barriers. These concepts are founded on one’s readiness to take up a particular action. Cues to action, an additional concept, seeks to account for the activation req...