Consuming a heavy breakfast, as being propagated and
thought by many may not be linked to a lesser caloric intake through the day
and subsequent weight loss.
Various researches suggest that the myth about eating a big breakfast helping
to lose weight is not true.
Dr Volker Schusdziarra, from the Else-Kröner-Fresenius
Center of Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University Munich, and
colleagues, conducted a study to see the effect of a heavy breakfast on total
daily caloric intake and subsequent weight loss.
Schusdziarra and colleagues said that the available
information about the role of breakfast energy in total daily energy intake is
confusing and contradictory. Some researches claim that eating a high calorie
breakfast leads to greater overall caloric intake. While on the other hand
health professionals strongly believe if breakfast should be the biggest meal
of the day in order to stay at a decent weight and eat lesser calories through
the day.
So to evaluate these findings they conducted a study. For their study 280 obese
and 100 normal weight volunteers were recruited and asked to keep food diaries
and record their food intake for up to 2 weeks. Some of the participants ate a
big breakfast, some had a small one, and some skipped it altogether.
The results showed that higher caloric consumption at breakfast was linked to
greater overall daily intake in both normal weight and obese participants.
The study
concluded with the note that "Reduced breakfast energy" intake is associated
with lower total daily intake.
Researchers state that people should consider cutting
back on breakfast calories as a "simple option to improve their daily
energy balance", because the "overall energy intake largely depends
on the post-breakfast rather than breakfast intake pattern".
Hence keeping the breakfast small, like other meals,
helps to keep the total caloric intake under control. The results of the study
showed that people ate the same at lunch and dinner, regardless of what they
had for breakfast.
Therefore eating a big breakfast has to be followed by
eating a lot less the rest of the day, to keep the calories in check if trying
to lose weight.
Sensible weight loss involves eating fewer calories while cutting down on
saturated fats and sugar, and eating at least 4 to5 portions of fruit and
vegetables a day.
Despite all the above findings breakfast undoubtedly is an important meal.
Rather it is well researched and proved that people who eat breakfast tend to
follow a more balanced diet than people who skip it. They are also less likely
to be overweight and less prone to stomach and acidity problems. Missing
breakfast makes one snack on unhealthy foods. Above all a very nutritious meal,
essential for the body is skipped, which cannot be made up for later in the
day.
Reference: Impact
of breakfast on daily energy intake - an analysis of absolute versus relative
breakfast calories; Volker Schusdziarra et al; BMC Nutrition Journal 2011