Skipping breakfast can lead to 12 kg of weight gain over a year

January 28, 2015  12:53

People who skip breakfast three times a week are twice as likely to gorge on an extra 252 calories a day, new research has today revealed. Missing the first meal of the day increases the urge to snack and could cause a person to gain up to 26lb - almost two stone - a year, if the extra calories are not burned off through exercise.

A survey, conducted for Breakfast Week, revealed the most popular mid-morning snacks for breakfast skippers are crisps, chocolate and biscuits.

One in 10 people do not eat breakfast at all during the week. And more than a third - 37 per cent - admit to skipping the first meal of the day at some point during the working week. That is despite the survey, of 2,000 adults, revealing 45 per cent of breakfast skippers admitting it makes them feel hungry mid-morning, 30 per cent complaining of being tired and lacking in energy and 14 per cent revealing it leaves them feeling grumpy. The main reasons for missing breakfast are not feeling hungry first thing (30 per cent) or sacrificing eating for extra time in bed (23 per cent). Meanwhile just over one in 10 (12 per cent) say they simply forget to eat breakfast, with the same number admitting they are too busy doing household chores. 

The survey also revealed how breakfast is key in affecting your food choices for the rest of the day. Those who skip the meal are more likely to opt for a chocolate bar (27 per cent) and a can of sugary fizzy drink (one in 10) with their lunch, than those who eat breakfast every day (13 per cent and four per cent respectively).  

Dietitian Azmina Govindji said missing breakfast can cause a person's blood sugar levels to drop, encouraging them to reach for a snack that will provide instant gratification.

Researchers calculated the potential weight gain, assuming a person eats an extra 252 calories every day - totalling 91,980 calories every year.

Breakfast Week, a not-for-profit campaign organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, runs this week, until Sunday and is in its 16th year. 

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