The Hormonal and Behavioral Impact of Eating Breakfast
The Hormonal and Behavioral Impact of Eating Breakfast
This study is exploring the relationship between food intake behavior and the
 hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) in women who regularly skip breakfast compared to women who
 regularly eat breakfast.
Healthy women will be studies in a cross-sectional fashion to examine the metabolic, hormonal
 and behavioral factors associated with breakfast skipping.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Pre-menopausal women (as determined by self-report of menstrual history and
 confirmation with plasma FSH)

 -  20 to 45 years old,

 -  BMI less than 40 kg/m2

 -  Stable body weight (fluctuation of less than ± 3%) for past 3 months.

 -  Breakfast eaters: defined as eating at least 15% of total daily energy intake at a
 meal between 0400-1000 h at least 6 days/week.

 -  Breakfast skippers: defined as eating no foods or beverages between 0400-1000h at
 least 4 days/week or only taking beverages (no solid food) containing less than ~100
 kcal.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Erratic/intermittent breakfast eating

 -  Currently pregnant or lactating

 -  Shift workers/diagnosed sleep disorders

 -  Use of tobacco products

 -  Use of non-prescription drugs/hormone replacement/steroid-based medications

 -  Diagnosed endocrine, metabolic, or digestive disorder

 -  Hemoglobin <11 g/dl

 -  Plasma Glucose >120 mg/dl