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Originally Posted by blueerica
At any rate, there's little sense in 'debunking' it as some god-awful myth... Though it's been put on a pedestal of sorts, it's better to think of it as the aforementioned rule of thumb.
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Whereas I find it important to debunk it because I don't like seeing people follow bogus claims as scientific imperative. It obscures actual healthy advice and makes it impossible to have a reasonable social discourse on the subject. It adds fuel to people who like to claim that science is bogus. So yes, I do consider it an awful myth.
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With the thirst thing, I'm not going to bother doing anything more than typing it into google and putting up the most official looking link with the terms "by the time you're thirsty, it's too late."  But, it stands to reason that since thirst is a signal of dehydration...
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Thirst signals begin when your blood cell concentration level rises by about 2%. Dehydration does not begin until it rises about 5%. Unless you are in the middle of strenuous activity that would accelerate your fluid loss, waiting until you are thirsty is not going to cause you any problems.
Sorry if I'm seeming a bit of a zealot on this, but it bugs me. Way too many people are turning to pseudo-science for answers to health questions and I don't think it's a good thing. Like I said, if any individual here has found that drinking water has given them good results, that's great. But I would rather people not base their habits on myth.
As for the "rule of thumb", it's a terrible rule of thumb. Again, based on the likely source of the "8x8" myth, drinking that much water is actually nearly
double the suggested minimum unless you are engaged in physical activity. As stated, you get most of those 64oz. you need from food. Drinking water should be little more than a supplement to that. And yes, drinking too much water can be an issue, causing anything from minor inconveniences to serious kidney problems.