Skipping breakfast linked to increased risk of behavior problems in children

A study shows that children who skip breakfast are more likely to have behavior problems.

Breakfast was considered the most important meal of the day, as it provided the brain and body with the fuel it needed for the day.

But in recent years, people have begun to question this idea as research shows how intermittent fasting can prolong life.

Now a study shows that skipping morning meals more than triples the risk of problems such as anxiety, low self-esteem and bad mood in young people.

Researchers interviewed parents of 3,700 children aged 4-14 in Spain to see how their eating habits affect their mental health.

The authors said that skipping breakfast can cause problems because they lack essential nutrients in the morning and are unable to make up for the deficiency during the day.

They also found that eating breakfast at a cafe or restaurant on the way to school increases your risk compared to eating at home.

Author Dr Jose Francisco Lopez-Gil, from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, said: “Our results show that it is not only important to have breakfast, but also where young people have breakfast and what they eat.

Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast out is associated with an increased risk of psychosocial behavior problems in children and adolescents.

“Likewise, consumption of certain foods or beverages is associated with a greater or lesser likelihood of psychosocial behavior problems.”

The study, published in Limits in Nutrition, surveyed parents of 3,772 children in Spain in 2017.

They interviewed parents about their child’s mood, self-esteem and anxiety levels, as well as exactly what a child ate for breakfast and where they ate it.

Researchers took a total of 25 questions to rate children for common psychosocial behavior problems.

They also recorded the children’s age, gender, region and immigration status.

The analysis showed that children who skipped breakfast were 3.29 times more likely to develop behavior problems than those who did not.

Those who ate breakfast outside were 2.06 times more likely to have problems.

The researchers suggested that breakfasts at cafes and fast food restaurants tend to be less nutritious.

By the way, what the children ate also had an impact.

Not having breakfast with bread, toast and cereal increased the risk of behavioral problems by 31%.

By comparison, eating a protein-rich breakfast without eggs, cheese or ham reduced the risk of developing problems by 44%.

Dr Lopez-Gil said: “The fact that eating breakfast outside the home is associated with more psychosocial health problems is a novel aspect of our study.

“Our findings reinforce the need to encourage not only breakfast as part of a healthy lifestyle, but also that it should be eaten at home.

“To prevent psychosocial health issues, minimizing a breakfast of dairy products and/or grains and certain animal foods rich in saturated fat or cholesterol can help reduce psychosocial health issues in teens.”

Skipping breakfast has become more popular among adults who want to lose weight as part of intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting, also known as the 16:8 diet, involves reducing feeding times from six hours a day to eight hours.

Followers of the meal plan fast for 16 hours a day and eat whatever they want for the remaining eight hours, usually between 10am and 6pm.

It was once thought to aid weight loss by encouraging the body to use existing fat stores as an energy source when food is not available.

But recent research has suggested that rapid weight loss is not actually due to the fasting itself, but to the overall calorie reduction it can cause.