For teens, eating breakfast regularly may make a difference.
The question: Does skipping breakfast help teens control their weight?
This study analyzed data on 2,216 teens who averaged 15 years old at the start of the study. Most reported eating breakfast intermittently; girls skipped the meal more than boys. During the next five years, teens who chose breakfast ate more healthily overall (consuming more fiber and less fat, for instance) and were more physically active than those who skipped it. Teens who ate breakfast regularly gained less weight than the others (based on body mass index, or BMI, calculated from weight and height); the more often breakfast was eaten, the smaller the increase in BMI.
Who may be affected? Teens. Studies have shown that as children age, the number who skip breakfast tends to increase. Nutrition experts maintain that children who eat a healthy breakfast are more alert, creative and able to concentrate than are those who skip the morning meal.
Caveats: The study suggested but did not provide cause-and-effect proof that eating breakfast daily would aid weight loss. Dietary data came from the teens' responses to questionnaires.
Find this study in the March issue of Pediatrics.
Learn more about healthy eating for kids at www.mayoclinic.com (search for ''breakfast'') and www.kidshealth.org (enter ''Kids'' site and search for ``breakfast'').
