Eating a Big Breakfast Curbs Hunger, Obesity

TEL AVIVPeople who eat their largest meal at breakfast are far more likely to lose weight and waist line circumference than those who eat a large dinner, according to a new study published in the journal Obesity. The findings suggest eating a larger breakfast lower levels of insulin, glucose and triglycerides throughout the day, translating into a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

The research, conducted by Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Diabetes Unit at Wolfson Medical Center, in collaboration with Dr. Julio Wainstein of TAU and the Wolfson Medical Center and Dr. Maayan Barnea and Prof. Oren Froy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, concluded that proper meal timing can make an important contribution towards managing obesity and promoting an overall healthy lifestyle.

To determine the impact of meal timing on weight loss and health, the researchers conducted a study in which 93 obese women were randomly assigned to one of two isocaloric groups. Each consumed a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-fat diet totaling 1,400 calories daily for a period of 12 weeks. The first group consumed 700 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch, and 200 at dinner. The second group ate a 200 calorie breakfast, 500 calorie lunch, and 700 calorie dinner. The 700 calorie breakfast and dinner included the same foods.

By the end of the study, participants in the "big breakfast" group had lost an average of 17.8 pounds each and 3 inches off their waist line, compared to a 7.3-pound and 1.4-inch loss for participants in the "big dinner" group. Those in the big breakfast group were found to have significantly lower levels of the hunger-regulating hormone ghrelin, an indication that they were more satiated and had less desire for snacking later in the day than their counterparts in the big dinner group.

The big breakfast group also showed a more significant decrease in insulin, glucose and triglyceride levels than those in the big dinner group. More important, they did not experience the high spikes in blood glucose levels that typically occur after a meal. Peaks in blood sugar levels are considered even more harmful than sustained high blood glucose levels, leading to high blood pressure and greater strain on the heart.

The findings suggest that people should adopt a well thought-out meal schedule, in addition to proper nutrition and exercise, to optimize weight loss and general health. Eating the right foods at the wrong times not only can slow down weight loss, it can also be harmful. In the study, the researchers found that those in the big dinner group actually increased their levels of triglycerides despite their weight loss.