So how much water are people supposed to drink?

There isn’t one daily amount that fits everyone. Needs can shift with activity, heat, illness, and other personal factors. Water in food and other drinks counts too, so a simple “glasses of plain water” rule can be misleading.

For many healthy adults, thirst is a reasonable everyday guide. People with medical conditions or specific fluid instructions should follow advice from their clinician instead.

I’d be careful about reading a headline as a blanket instruction. Saying that some people don’t need to force extra water is different from telling everyone to drink less. Without the article’s details, it’s hard to know what point it was making.

More isn’t automatically better. Drinking far beyond what your body needs can be harmful, so chugging water just to hit a target isn’t a great plan. Normal meals and drinks contribute to hydration, and thirst, activity, and conditions around you all matter.