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Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?
Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?
The BMJ study focuses on breakfast in relation to maintaining a healthy weight. However, losing weight is not the only reason to eat breakfast in the morning. There are, of course, many other reasons why people eat breakfast. For example, some people are hungry in the morning and enjoy eating breakfast. Breakfast is also associated with academic success in students, and provides energy for athletes and active people. So, the answer to the question ‘Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?’, is in fact, ‘It depends on the goals of each person’. For example, for a cyclist who has an important one-day bike race, breakfast may indeed be the most important meal of the day. It is the only meal where he or she can stock up on carbohydrate and benefit during the race. Starting the race without the breakfast would have consequences for performance. But on certain days, when an athlete’s training plan is light, it may be appropriate to train on an empty stomach.
Breakfast or no breakfast when it comes to losing weight?
Studies suggest that if breakfast is skipped, calorie intake can be somewhat recovered and physical activity can be reduced later in the day, but not enough to compensate for lower caloric intake at breakfast. So, it seems that people who do not eat breakfast consume fewer calories in total during the day compared to people who eat breakfast, which can promote weight loss. On the other hand, even if skipping breakfast can reduce total caloric intake, it does not guarantee weight loss either, since the body can adjust by decreasing its resting metabolism (i.e. the amount of calories burned at rest). In fact, one study found that the resting energy expenditure was lower in the morning when subjects were fasting compared to when they had eaten breakfast. Interestingly, a habit of regular consumption at breakfast, consisting of eating breakfast daily or never having breakfast, can be important for maintaining a healthy weight. In fact, a study involving 46037 women found that women who ate breakfast seven days a week as well as those who never ate breakfast had a risk of obesity 21% and 28% lower respectively compared to those who ate breakfast three or four days per week.
In short, if one’s goal is weight loss, the BMJ meta-analysis suggests that eating breakfast may not be essential. For some, adding a breakfast meal could even be detrimental to weight loss by increasing total caloric intake. On the other hand, is it possible to lose weight by eating three meals per day? Absolutely! So, it’s up to you to choose what you prefer and what suits you best!
References
- Sievert et coll. (2019) Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ; 364:l42.
- Jeukendrup (2019) Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? http://www.mysportscience.com/single-post/2019/02/02/Is-breakfast-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day
- Betts et coll. (2016). Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Proc Nutr Soc; 75(4):464-474.
- Guinter et coll. (2019) Day-to-day regularity in breakfast consumption is associated with weight status in a prospective cohort of women. Int J Obes (Lond); (sous Presse).
- Rong et coll. (2019) Association of Skipping Breakfast With Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality. J Am Coll Cardiol; 73:2025–32.
- Trockel, Barnes et Egget (2000) Health-related variables and academic performance among first-year college students: implications for sleep and other behaviors. J Am Coll Health; 49(3):125-31.
Author
Kathryn holds a Bachelor Degree in Nutrition as well as a Bachelor and a Master Degree in Kinesiology, all from Laval University. She is a Registered Dietitian and active member of the Ordre professionnel des Diététistes Nutritionnistes du Québec (ODNQ) and of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She holds the Monash University's certification for the FODMAP diet and IBS, and has considerable clinical experience in that area. She is also an accomplished athlete, having ran track and cross-country at a national level. Kathryn specializes in sports nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, as well as heart and gastrointestinal health.
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