Along with food, water has always been one of life's essentials. Humans can survive up to three weeks without food but only a matter of three days without water and the adverse effects of dehydration can be noticed within hours. Despite the risks involved with obesity and its enormous hold on the American population, individuals have a tendency to forget about the importance of water when trying to maintain a healthy diet. Water is the single most important factor in staying healthy and preventing weight gain.

Drinking water helps to curb the appetite and allows the body to metabolize stored fat. Recent studies show that a decrease in water intake may cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water can reduce the fat deposits in the body. The kidneys do not function properly without enough water and when this happens, some...