The results of a study which were presented
at a conference on Experimental Biology in the USA indicated that eating a
proper breakfast is one of the most positive things you can do if you are trying
to lose weight. Of course, this also applies to all of us, old and young who want
to eat a balanced diet.
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Advantages of eating breakfast The study in question analysed the breakfast habits of
19 000 Americans older than 12 years. This investigation formed part of a
mega-study called NHANES III, which was one of the largest diet surveys to be
undertaken in the USA. The results indicate that people who ate breakfast
enjoyed the following advantages compared to “breakfast skippers”:
the researchers found that eating breakfast may play
a more significant role in weight maintenance than total kilojoule (kJ)
intake;
“breakfast skippers” tend to gain, rather than to
lose weight, because they are more inclined to overcompensate for the loss of
kJs at breakfast by eating more fat-rich, high-energy foods later in the day,
especially at supper;
eating breakfast not only increased the daily
dietary fibre intake significantly (high fibre diets have a lower fat and
energy content than low fibre diets, because foods rich in fibre are generally
low in fat and the inclusion of dietary fibre dilutes the energy content of
the diet), but also provided more protective nutrients such as vitamins and
minerals;
eating high-fibre breakfast cereals had a positive
effect on keeping the body mass index low (BMI = a measure of body
weight). People who ate breakfast cereals had an average BMI of 25.5, while
persons eating eggs and bacon had an average BMI of 26.7 (BMIs above 25 are
indicative of overweight and obesity).
Children and teenagers Another study presented at the Experimental Biology
Conference reported on breakfast habits in children and teenagers. Once again
the results showed that children and teenagers who ate breakfast were thinner
than their counterparts who skipped breakfast.
Why do people skip breakfast? There appear to be many reasons why modern people of all
ages skip breakfast. In the USA, about 25% of the population skip breakfast on a
regular basis. The figure for South Africa is probably similar, especially
in those of us who have a "western" lifestyle.
Reasons given for skipping breakfast vary and include: lack of time,
poor meal planning and the mistaken belief that skipping meals will result in
weight loss.
Make an effort It may
take a bit of planning, but it is so worthwhile. The following suggestions may
help you to become a "breakfast eater":
plan what you are going to eat for breakfast and
include these foods on your shopping list;
set the alarm to go off 15 minutes earlier so that
you have time to eat a simple, but nutrition breakfast;
if you really can’t face food just after rising,
then prepare food to take along to work or school which you can eat during the
course of the morning.
Examples A balanced, low-fat, high-fibre breakfast should include
the following:
a fresh fruit or fruit juice (tip - buy fruit that
requires no preparing and is easy to take with to work/school, e.g. naartjies,
apples, bananas);
a high-fibre breakfast cereal (tip - Instant Oats
can be prepared anywhere as long as you have hot water available, or take
Bran-rich cereals/muesli to work/school in a plastic
container);
low-fat milk or yoghurt (rich in protein and
calcium, but low in fat) (tips - buy long-life low-fat milk and store in
fridge at work; buy low-fat yoghurt in small plastic containers);
wholewheat toast or buns or high-fibre muffins with
Lite margarine, jam, or marmite;
boiled egg - include for extra protein, and iron
(hard boiled eggs are easy to take along to work/school - the SA Heart
Foundation recommends that even people with cholesterol problems can eat three to four
eggs a week).
The results of a study which were presented
at a conference on Experimental Biology in the USA indicated that eating a
proper breakfast is one of the most positive things you can do if you are trying
to lose weight. Of course, this also applies to all of us, old and young who want
to eat a balanced diet.
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