Researchers estimated that 570,000 fewer US children would be overweight or obese if water dispensers were installed in school cafeterias across the country, resulting in $13.1 billion in medical and indirect societal cost savings. The findings in Pediatric Obesity -- based on 2009 to 2013 data involving 1,200 elementary and middle schools in New York City -- showed that students in schools with water dispensers had a threefold increase in lunchtime water intake, significantly lower whole-milk consumption and a small but substantial drop in overweight risk after a year.