Breakfast and weight control
Breakfast is also important for anyone trying to lose weight or stay in shape. Ironically, many people think that skipping breakfast will help them lose weight but studies consistently show that those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight or obese3,4,5,6 whereas those who eat breakfast tend to be leaner and more likely to maintain weight over time7.
Data from America show that children and adults who eat breakfast have healthier weights than those skip breakfast8,9. Those who skip breakfast on a regular basis are nearly five times more likely to be obese10. A recent summary of nine studies involving both adults and children found that people who eat breakfast cereals regularly tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and are less likely to be overweight than those who do not eat breakfast cereals frequently11.
Control over appetite
Having breakfast helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and this regulates appetite and energy. People who eat breakfast are less likely to be hungry and overeat during the rest of the day12.
3 Hunty DL & Ashwell M. 2007. Are people who regularly eat breakfast cereals slimmer than those who don't? A systematic review of the evidence. Nutrition Bulletin 2007, 32: 118-128.
4 Sjoberg A, Hallberg L, Hoglund D & Hulthen L. 2003, Meal pattern, food choice, nutrient intake and lifestyle factors in The Goteborg Adolescence Study, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57 (12) 1569‐1578.
5 Siega‐Riz A, Popkin B & Carson T. 1998, Trends in breakfast consumption for children in the United States from 1965‐1991, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67 (4): 748S‐756.
6 Bertrais S, Luque MLP, Preziosi P, Fieux B, De Flot MT, Galan P & Hercberg S. 2000, Contribution of ready‐to‐eat cereals to nutrition intakes in French adults and relations with corpulence, Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 44 (5-6): 249‐255.
7 Gibson SA & O'Sullivan KR. 1995, Breakfast cereal consumption patterns and nutrient intakes of British schoolchildren. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 115 (6): 366‐370.
8 Wolfe WS, Campbell CC, Frongillo EA, Haas JD, & Melnik TA. 1994, Overweight schoolchildren in New York State: Prevalence and characteristics. American Journal of Public Health 84(5): 807-813.
9 Haines PS, Guilkey DK, & Popkin B. 1996, Trends in breakfast consumption of US adults between 1965 and 1991. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 96(5): 464-470.
10 Ma Y, Bertone ER, Stanek EJ III, Reed GW, Hebert JR, Cohen NL, Merriam PA & Ockene IS. 2003, Association between eating patterns and obesity in a free‐living US adult population, American Journal of Epidemiology, 158 (1): 85‐92.
11 Hunty D.L. & Ashwell M. 2007, Are people who regularly eat breakfast cereals slimmer than those who don't? A systematic review of the evidence. Nutrition Bulletin, 32: 118-128.
12 Taylor Nelson, Sofres Out of Home Survey, UK. 2003; John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access, December 2007.
