Breakfast: Not As Important As You Think
We’re often told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But what does the science say? The answer may not be that simple.
A study by the University of Bath looked at people’s breakfast habits. It found very little difference between those who ate breakfast and those who did not.
People who ate breakfast were more active in the morning and used about 500 extra calories a day compared to people who didn't eat breakfast. However, people who ate breakfast consumed about 500 more calories a day than those who didn’t, so there was little difference between the two groups.
“I almost never have breakfast,” said Dr. Betts, one of the researchers, adding that this was one of his main reasons for doing this research. He says he is not going to start eating breakfast after seeing the results.
The study lasted only six weeks, so more research is needed. But it seems likely that breakfast may not be any more important than lunch or dinner.
Some suggest that the reason we believe breakfast is so important is because of advertising, especially by companies which sell breakfast food. An example of this is the work of Edward Bernays, who was hired in the 1920s by the Beech-Nut Packing Company to improve bacon sales.
He asked 5,000 doctors to sign a letter saying that a good breakfast was an important part of good health. The letter suggested that a “heavy breakfast” of bacon and eggs was more healthy than a light breakfast.
