Lack of breakfast linked with childhood obesity
Katy Morton
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Children who regularly skip breakfast before going to school are nearly twice as likely to be obese compared with those who eat something before they leave home, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Essex found that a quarter of boys and a third of girls regularly miss breakfast. These children were less physically active and fit than those who did eat before leaving the house, and were more likely to be overweight or obese.
The researchers said this suggested that the lower physical activity in children who skipped breakfast could be having a knock-on effect, with those missing the meal twice as likely to be obese.
The study of 4,000 tento 16-year-olds looked at the fitness, physical activity, weight and breakfast habits of school children.
When the researchers asked the children why they didn't eat breakfast, the boys claimed that it was because they lacked time in the mornings, while the girls said they thought it would help them lose weight.
Lead researcher Dr Gavin Sandercock said, 'There is great national concern about children's increasing weight, decreasing activity and decreasing fitness. You don't see many factors that relate so strongly to all three, but it appears that children who regularly eat breakfast are thinner, more active and even fitter than those who don't.'
Carmel McConnell, founder of Magic Breakfast, England's largest provider of free breakfasts for schools, said, 'This study is pretty shocking, and as a country we need to wake up to the fact that there is something wrong.
'Magic Breakfast is seeing an extreme need for healthy breakfast food for school-age children, and it is important we take action from an early age to break bad habits. We need to educate parents on the importance of a good breakfast and make sure good food is available to children through breakfast clubs.'
