Kids Who Skip Breakfast Risk Obesity

HONG KONGChildren who skip breakfast have a higher risk of obesity compared to those who eat their morning meal, according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong assessed the association between breakfast skipping and body mass index (BMI) among young Chinese children. A cohort of 113,457 primary participants of the Department of Health Student Health Service in 19982000 was followed up for two years, with 68,606 (60.5%) participants available for analysis in primary. All participants had similar sociodemographic characteristics.

At baseline and follow-up, participants used food frequency questionnaires to report breakfast habit and other lifestyle characteristics. A total of 1,805 (5.3%) boys and 1,793 (5.2%) girls skipped breakfast at baseline. They found participants who skipped breakfast had a higher mean BMI compared to those who ate breakfast, and the association was stronger among those who skipped lunch.