Betting on Bottled Water By Tim Brown

Aug 8, 2014 10:35 PM ET

The tide is turning in the beverage industry—calories are falling and water is rising. An increasingly health-conscious consumer base is demanding 

beverages that are low in or free of calories, sugar and artificial sweeteners, and the beverage industry’s supply chain is responding.

When the People Lead, the Leaders Will Follow. The tidal shift toward healthier beverages has not gone unnoticed in board 

rooms or in the public square. Just a little more than a year ago, I joined first lady Michelle Obama and all types of water providers—from mayors to refillable bottle makers, filter companies and other bottlers— to launch the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Drink Up! initiative to encourage people to drink more water more often.

Drinking water is one of the easiest, most effective ways for children to adopt healthy habits as part of a healthier lifestyle. But sadly, according to national research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 15 percent of middle school kids drink enough water to stay adequately hydrated on a daily basis.

Download the article by Tim Brown on bottled water in it's entirety.