Last week, I wrote about the global health issue of potable water access. I wore a pedometer for exactly one week and tracked all (8 oz) glasses of water consumed during that same time period. 25 miles and 30 glasses later*, I learned some things:
- I don’t drink nearly as much water as I should each day.
- I walk more than the average american (afterall, this is NYC) but not as much as I think I do.
- I drank ~2 gallons of water, which would be a lot to carry 3.7 miles one way. I would not have been able to get water just for myself in a less fortunate country, so to drink even the small amount I had, I would need to make the trip several times.
- The few times I couldn’t have water whenever I wanted and wherever I happened to be in those 25 miles, I felt annoyed. That’s maybe where #firstworldproblems came from, but there’s something deeper than this internet meme; people in 3rd world countries simply do not know the ubiquitous nature of potable water that can come out of a tap, in giant bottles, from people, homes, and workplaces alike, and to anyone regardless of status. This was a startling, uncomfortable reminder.
- I didn’t count ice tea for a few days or foods directly prepared with or including water. This was blatantly wrong; we use potable water for more than meets the eye, which is a luxury that is not fact around the world.
On a lighter note, congratulations to Jeannie Rose, who won the pedometer giveaway! She was the 10th person to share the last blog post. Thanks to all who shared and played!
*There were a few times I do not believe I was properly wearing the pedometer (darn stockings!), and other times that it may have been overly sensitive. I did not wear it at the gym so as not to skew the results as it relates to the purpose of this experiment. I also drank items like iced coffee, coconut water, and beer, which I did not include as water consumed. My step length was conservatively estimated at 25 inches. Some argue these decisions; it’s how I chose to do it.
Jen Bokoff 