Better nutrition, better body weight and better brain performance - if more Aussie kids ate breakfast the nation could be a lot better off.

 

That’s the conclusion to be drawn from a recent report out of Australia that shows children who regularly eat breakfast have a healthier body weight and higher literacy and numeracy scores.

 

Other studies also show breakfast is associated with better long term health and those who miss breakfast are unlikely to make up the ‘lost’ nutrients later in the day.

 

The research has been brought together in a paper produced for Kellogg’s by Glenn Cardwell, an Accredited Practising Dietician with 34 years in clinical and public health nutrition in Australia.

 

Mr Cardwell (APD AN) collated research from around the world that supports the contention that the breakfast habit has left the home.

 

He says there’s not a moment to waste: the breakfast habit must be rescued.

 

“We have to convince those who have stopped breakfast to return because there is new and robust evidence that it is a wise health decision,” Mr Cardwell says.

 

He says there are four distinct rewards to dining soon after waking.

 

Better weight

Research among Australian children shows skipping breakfast is associated with a higher BMI (body mass index) [2]

 

Breakfast eaters may be leaner because eating can prevent low blood glucose levels between meals [10], and long fasting periods may induce overeating from hunger. They also eat a better overall diet with less fat and more fibre, fruits and vegetables and tend to be more active [2,5,6,10,11]

 

Brainier

A good quality breakfast is critical for school performance in children. [12] This may be because it provides key nutrients for neurotransmitter production and brain function or because a lower glycaemic index breakfast has been shown to be better for cognitive skills [13,14,15].

 

Long term health benefits

A landmark 20 year Australian study [16] of breakfast consumption showed breakfast-skippers on average had higher fasting insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and BMI.

 

Men not eating breakfast were shown to have a 21 per cent increased risk of type 2 diabetes in a US study of 30,000 health professionals followed for 14 years [17].

 

Better nutrition throughout the day

Boys who eat breakfast cereals have higher intakes of most essential nutrients including fibre during the day when compared to those who don’t have breakfast [4].

 

Miss breakfast and the ‘lost’ nutrients are not being made up during the day [4].

 

Glenn Cardwell says time pressure and ‘not feeling like breakfast first thing in the morning’ are the two most common reasons for missing breakfast.

 

“One in ten school kids in Australia do not eat breakfast at home every day and as they get older, this is less likely to happen - four in 10 teenagers aged 11 to 14 for example.” [2]

 

 

“Breakfast is a very rewarding habit and it remains the smartest decision upon awakening.  Parents are powerful role models for their children. With breakfast, their children could do better at school and they themselves could perform better during the day,” he says.

 

“They could be better nourished, be in better health and have a healthier body weight. That’s a pretty good return on a 10 minute daily investment.”

 

Mr Cardwell says time pressures mean breakfast has moved from being quick to instantaneous.

 

The important thing though is to “make breakfast a discussion point” at home, at school and among everyone.

 

Ends

 

References:

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2005; 105: 743-760

2. Utter J, Scragg R, Ni Mhurchu C, Schaaf D. At-home breakfast consumption among New Zealand children: associations with Body Mass Index and related nutrition behaviours. Journal of the American Dietetic

Association 2007; 107: 570-576

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4. Grieger JA, Cobiac L. Comparison of dietary intakes according to breakfast choice in Australian boys. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012; 66 (6): 667-672

5. Hallström L et al. Breakfast consumption and CVD risk factors in European adolescents: the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study. Public Health Nutrition 2012 doc: 1017/S1368980012000973

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11. Reeves S, Halsey LG, McMeel Y, Huber JW. Breakfast habits, beliefs and measures of health and wellbeing in a nationally representative UK sample. Appetite 2013; 60: 51-57

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13. Kral TVE, Heo M, Whiteford LM, Faith MS. Effects on cognitive performance of eating compared with omitting breakfast in elementary schoolchildren. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 2012; 33: 9-16

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