Just add water.

Reducing America’s epidemic of childhood obesity could really be that simple, indicate results of a study published online last week. Childhood obesity has been a major concern, especially since 2012 when more than one-third of U.S. children and adolescents were classified as overweight or obese.

Tuesday’s article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics describes a simple, low-cost intervention in New York schools: the installation of water jets. You’ve probably seen them in airports, gyms, or public places; they look like water fountains, but with a convenient dispenser to fill bottles.

Kids and adults alike consume too many sugary drinks. Substitute those with water, and according to health professionals many of our health issues would improve, if not resolve. But even without addressing sodas and inaptly named “power” drinks, simply encouraging more water with these convenient visual reminders had a clear effect. Kids lost weight.

Water jets were installed in 1,227 elementary and middle schools. Using routinely gathered weight and height measurements from a state fitness program, and factoring in gender and other normal developmental changes, researchers evaluated body mass index. Over the study period the average overweight or obese child lost about five pounds and had a lower BMI (less fat percentage), compared with kids in schools without the water jets. Boys lost slightly more weight than girls.

A previous study in 2009 of the effects of water jets installed in nine schools found that kids tripled their water intake. Feeling full with water, kids also bought less of other drink options, compared to kids in control group schools.

“Water is essential for human function, prevents dehydration, and is critical to a nutritious diet. Water is also a healthy alternative to caloric beverages, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which have been linked to childhood obesity,” state the authors of the recent study.

Factor in the long-term effects on health and smarter habits during adulthood, and a few pounds means a lot more. As one study author put it, if things don’t change this may well be the first generation of children who do not live as long as their parents.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.