A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in June 2014 has shown that breakfast might not be the 'most important meal of the day' at least for those who are already overweight.
Just under 300 overweight or obese participants were asked to follow their usual daily routine, to fast until 11am or to have a breakfast. There was no discernible weight loss difference between the groups though the breakfast group did tend to be more active.
This study was particularly interesting as it worked by 'intention to treat', giving the advice to eat or to fast regardless of prior eating habits. This means that the evidence is likely to be aplicable more broadly in the clinical context but does not allow us to distinguish whether those who routinely fast should be encouraged to eat, or vice-versa.
Overall, this tends to re-inforce our point that breakfast is a relatively neutral meal in the day. Eating breakfast will not, on average, help you to lose weight, though neither will you gain weight if you do. You are more likely to want to be active if you eat breakfast and so may be more productive at home or at work but it is probably not worth making youself sick over!
The best advice we can give is to choose healthy options for breakfast that are low in sugars and high in whole food content. Try to avoid processed foods and sugars in your morning routine.
credits:Tasty breakfast: Brian
