Teenagers Gain Weight if They Miss Breakfast

Teenagers who skip breakfast tend to put on more weight and are less active then those who regularly eat breakfast, UK research shows. The findings indicate that regularly eating a healthy breakfast, along 

with regular exercise and other healthy lifestyle factors, may reduce uk's teenagers risk of becoming obese, as well as their risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and other associated health problems in later life. 

Dr Mark Pereira and colleagues from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis studied the association between eating patterns and weight gain among more than 2200 teenagers.
All the participants completed questionnaires detailing their eating patterns in 1998-1999 and 2003-2004. Their weight gain over the study period and their body mass index in 2003-2004 were also measured.
The team found that, in 1998-1999, teenagers who ate a daily breakfast tended to have a healthier diet and were more physically active than those who skipped breakfast. 

Five years later in uk , those who ate a daily breakfast had gained less weight and tended to have a lower body mass index than participants who skipped breakfast. 
Furthermore, the weight-loss benefits of eating breakfast on a daily basis remained after accounting for other dietary factors and physical activity levels, say the researchers. 

Dr Pereira and team conclude: "Although experimental studies are needed to verify whether the association between breakfast and body weight is of a causal nature, our findings support the importance of promoting regular breakfast consumption among adolescents."
Study researcher Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer added: "Although adolescents may think that skipping breakfast seems like a good way to save on calories, findings suggest the opposite. Eating a healthy breakfast may help adolescents avoid overeating later in the day and disrupt unhealthy eating patterns, such as not eating early in the day and eating a lot late in the evening."