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SALT LAKE CITY—We have all heard time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but two new studies published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest that breakfast isn’t as important as everyone says.
One study in the AJCN focused on breakfast and its role in weight loss. According to the New York Times, the study gathered 300 volunteers who were trying to lose weight. The subjects were randomly assigned to skip breakfast, always eat breakfast or to continue with their regular habits.
Sixteen weeks later, the subjects in all groups were weighed and contrary to popular belief, people’s weight difference was insignificant in all categories. According to MSN News, Emily Dhurandhar, a researcher with the study, said that the results mean that breakfast “may be just another meal.”
Another study published in the AJCN researched by the University of Bath looked at the resting metabolic rates, cholesterol levels and blood-sugar profiles of 33 lean participants assigned to either eat breakfast or skip the meal. The subjects were given activity monitors to wear for the next six weeks.
The study found that their resting metabolic rates, cholesterol and blood sugar remained almost unchanged from the beginning of the study whether they ate breakfast or not. The study did find though that the people who ate breakfast did move around more and as a result burned calories, but by eating breakfast they consumed those calories back. The University of Bath also points out that those that did not eat breakfast did not have huge lunches and dinners, they just had less energy in the morning.
According to the New York Times, James Betts, a researcher from the University of Bath study, suggested that the studies were short-term, had a limited number of subjects and that more randomized and extensive experiments are needed in order to truly understand the role of breakfast.
Betts said that he never eats breakfast and said that was part of his motivation in conducting the research. Dhurandhar even said that “I guess I won’t nag my husband to eat breakfast anymore.” Both Betts and Dhurandhar give the impression that if you eat breakfast or not, don’t worry about it until there is other supporting studies to conclude that breakfast really isn’t as important as thought.
