"On any given day, 1 in 5 American youngsters don't drink any water at all, a new survey shows.

And those who don't end up consuming almost twice as many calories from sugar-sweetened beverages.

That, investigators warn, translates into an extra 100 calories per day, which over time can raise the risk for becoming overweight or obese.

"Drinking water is the healthiest beverage to drink," said study author Asher Rosinger, director of the Water, Health and Nutrition Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University. "Water is an essential nutrient that is critical to proper physiological and cognitive functioning."