Almost one in three people drink fewer than the six glasses of water or other liquid a day doctors recommend, a Department of Health survey shows.
In a behavioural risk factor survey conducted in April and May, the department asked more than 2,000 adults how much liquid they drink each day. Of the respondents, 32.3 per cent said they drank an average of fewer than six glasses of liquid per day, results released yesterday show.
The average person needs six to eight glasses of liquid per day. While some people, such as sportsmen and breastfeeding mothers, may need more liquid, those with heart and kidney problems may require less, according to the department.
Common signs of dehydration include thirst, dryness of eyes, lips and nasal passages, tiredness, increased breathing and heart rate, irritability and difficulty in concentration.
The department said although many people took in their daily fluids in the form of water and other beverages such as juices, alcohol and soft drinks, taking too many drinks with high sugar levels could be detrimental to health.
The survey report broke down the responses by age and sex. It found:
