Study Reveals Why Those Trying to Lose Weight Should Not Skip Breakfast
Skipping breakfast can hinder weight loss, Spanish researchers have found. If you are trying to lose extra weight after the holidays, you should eat 20-30% of your daily caloric intake at breakfast.
This equates to 500 to 750 calories for men and 400 to 600 calories for women, and a three-year study of nearly 400 adults found that those who ate in the recommended calorie range at breakfast had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate too little or too much.
The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, was conducted on 383 adults aged 55 to 75 in Barcelona. All participants were obese and had metabolic syndrome, which includes health problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. They followed a Mediterranean diet filled with vegetables and whole grains to aid in weight loss.
The researchers monitored the participants’ breakfast calorie intake at the beginning of the study, two years later, and at the end of the study. The results showed that those who consumed too few or too many breakfast calories had a BMI 2 to 3.5% higher than those who ate an adequate amount.
Waist circumference, which indicates abdominal fat, was also 2-4% larger for those with inadequate breakfast intake. Blood tests showed that both those with low and high breakfast intake had higher blood fat levels, a risk factor for heart disease; the BMI scale defines the healthy range as 18.5 to 25, overweight as 25 to 29, and obesity as 30 or more, which significantly increases health risk.
The study also assessed the nutritional quality of breakfast. Participants who ate an unhealthy breakfast high in fat, salt, and sugar had increased health risk, regardless of calorie content. While it is expected that too many calories would lead to higher BMI and waist size, it is puzzling why too many calories would produce similarly poor results.
Researchers believe that breakfast eaters feel fuller throughout the day, snack less, and reduce their overall caloric intake. Study author Professor Alvaro Hernáez of the University of Ramón Llull stressed that breakfast is important, but quality and quantity are key. He stated that eating a balanced amount of food, not too much or too little, along with proper nutritional intake, can lead to improved heart health.
The authors acknowledge some limitations to this study. It was an observational study and could not clearly demonstrate that breakfast calorie intake directly affects health outcomes. They also considered other factors that could influence outcomes.
