Often called the most important meal of the day, breakfast – or more than one breakfast – may be vital in student weight control, according to a new study published in Pediatric Obesity.
A two-year study of 584 middle school students showed that those who ate breakfast at school were less likely to be overweight or obese than their peers who skipped the meal. Even those students who ate breakfast both at home and at school were less likely to have weight problems, according to a news release from UConn Today.
In fact, those who skipped breakfast or ate it irregularly were two times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who ate breakfast. The weight change for all double breakfast eaters was comparable to that of all students.
“When it comes to the relationship between school breakfast and body weight, our study suggests that two breakfasts are better than none,” said University of Connecticut professor Marlene Schwartz, a study author and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, which conducted the study with the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) at Yale School of Public Health.
The study took place in 12 randomly selected urban schools from 2011 to 2013, with students from fifth through seventh grades. The schools provided no-cost breakfasts and lunches.
Validating Past Research
The new study also builds on some prior research.
A 2008 study published in Pediatrics concluded that teens who ate breakfast each day had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who didn’t – or only did so occasionally. While those who ate breakfast had more calories and cholesterol in their diets than those who didn’t, they also had less saturated fat.
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“We know that the biggest predictor of overeating is undereating,” said Dr. Marcie Beth Schneider, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition. “Many of these kids skip breakfast and lunch, but then go home and don’t stop eating.”
Another hypothesis suggested by the Rudd Center is that overweight people choose to skip breakfast as a way to control their weight. Girls more commonly skip breakfast than boys.
Other research has shown that students who eat breakfast tend to do better in school, are in better overall health and have healthy body weights, UConn Today said.
More on Double Breakfasts
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three U.S. children and teens are overweight or obese.
Free school breakfasts are subject to federal nutrition guidelines, which may be why double breakfast eaters are keeping their weights in check.
“It’s not like these kids are eating two breakfasts of donuts,” Schwartz said. “School breakfasts are very healthy. It is fruit and low-fat dairy and whole grains. So you could almost think of it as a healthy snack.”
The Rudd Center noted that while about 12 million children received free or reduced-price lunches during the 2014-15 school year, only about half received a subsidized breakfast, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
