jdietrich parent
For healthy adults, thirst is a perfectly adequate guide to hydration needs. Historically normal patterns of drinking - e.g. water with meals and a few cups of tea or coffee in between - are perfectly sufficient unless you're doing hard physical labour or spending long periods of time outdoors in hot weather. The modern American preoccupation with constantly drinking water is a peculiar cultural phenomenon with no scientific basis.
Don't many medications dehydrate you though? And Americans are on a lot of medications.
I've always understood constantly drinking water as a ruse to use the bathroom more often, which is helpful for Americans with sedentary lifestyles.
If you are thirsty you are already dehydrated.
Try getting a kidney stone and then find out if adequate hydration is what you want to squeak by with.
Diabetes causes dehydration