We all know that breakfast is the ‘most important meal of the day’, and missing it can contribute to weight gain and a sluggish metabolism.
However, new research has turned that claim on its head, saying that there is no difference ‘in weight change and most health outcomes’ between people who eat breakfast and those who skip it
American wellness guru, Julian Whitaker believes the easiest route to longterm weight loss involves a morning ‘mini-fast’. He recommends skipping breakfast in favour of exercise and eating your first meal of the day at noon to accelerate the body’s natural fat-burning mechanisms.
In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, results showed no variation in weight loss between obese people that ate breakfast and those that skipped it. Although it is widely believed that missing your first meal of the day led to binges on sugary foods later on, Dr. James A. Betts, one of the project’s researchers, claims that people don’t necessarily ‘catch up’ on calories later in the day, but instead expend less energy, resulting in fewer calories burned during the course of the week.
The food industry may be behind the claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day in order to sell breakfast cereals and bars, and although some studies have shown breakfast-eaters to be leaner that those who skip, there may be other lifestyle factors involved. People who eat breakfast are less likely to smoke and drink excessively, and are more likely to exercise.
So if you find it hard to eat breakfast, there’s no need to force yourself to eat until you feel hungry, but do ensure your first meal includes wholegrains, healthy fats, proteins and a portion of fruit or veggies.