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Bad News for Breakfast Lovers?

breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day — or so we’ve heard all our lives, right? Now, don’t be alarmed, but as it turns out, the research that supports that claim was supported by cereal makers, aka the companies selling you breakfast. They might have been embellishing the truth a bit for their own benefit. A recent Associated Press article questioned the validity of this conventional wisdom, and it’s about time, I say.

Apparently, the research paid for by companies such as Kellogg was so influential that even the U.S. Government “cited breakfast as a way to manage weight,” the article says. But honestly, you probably know this. It’s been repeated to us for as long as we can remember. And it’s not exactly false, but it’s not exactly true either.

The article says that cereal makers sort of only shared half-truths. For example, they claimed that eating breakfast would help you lose weight, but they conveniently declined to share that if you already eat breakfast and then stop, you’re even more likely to lose weight.

Nutrition science is tricky, as we know. It seems as though for every ounce of research you find supporting one diet or lifestyle, there’s some kind of research out there suggesting the exact opposite. The recent article says simply, “studies often misleadingly used language to indicate that breakfast influenced weight, even though the findings did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.” That might be the No. 1 thing I remember from school: correlation does not equal causation. And it’s wrong to imply otherwise. Uh oh.

If this information has turned your life upside down (big breakfast fan here!), don’t worry. I would offer more condolences in the form of additional research, but given the circumstances, that seems like a waste. So I’ll leave you with this: If you’ve developed a habit that is working for you, continue that. If you think you need a change,  try cutting (or beginning) breakfast for a short time and see what happens. At this point, who knows what will work? In these crazy times, you do you.

Do you eat breakfast? Will this news change your morning meal habits at all? — Megan 

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Comments

9 Comments
  1. zolar says:

    OO .. I’ve heard it million times that eating breakfast could help to lose weight..
    If it is not true it is not good

  2. Deb E says:

    I don’t eat until after noon. I used to advocate eating breakfast back in the eighties when I counseled nutrition, my first career. Maybe it’s because I’m older but my gut seems to do better with more time to digest (history of IBS). I used to rush to eat in the morning and I’m sure that did not do wonders for my cortisol levels which tend to be higher in the morning anyway. Just works for me. Oh, and I’m currently listening to the audio of The Case Against Sugar, so learning something new every day.

  3. Kristen says:

    Kudos for your statement “So I’ll leave you with this: If you’ve developed a habit that is working for you, continue that.” Every person is different and a routine that works for one person may not work for another and vice versa. That is the key . Learn take in the knowledge and customize it to your own personal needs to reach a goal.

  4. Kris says:

    For me, it’s not so much about the breakfast itself, but what happens later if I don’t eat a good breakfast – I’ll be hungry all day and prone to eating anything I can find. Now that’s not good for weight control!

  5. Andy says:

    Its really a bad news. I can’t start my day work without breakfast. But if it only concerns with weight loss then a lots of another alternates are available here like we can eat only fruits, juice, sprouts and also can do exercise to maintain weight. Any suggestion ?

  6. Kylie says:

    Definitely a saying that I have heard most of my life. I look as breakfast as something I like to eat to give me the energy to start my day and also a way so my stomach doesn’t growl during work lol

  7. How do you feel? Will not having breakfast make you hungry during the busy morning at work? Some people say yes, some people say no. Does having it help you curb cravings and keep you energetic during the day? Still, yes and no.

    Yes, nutrition science is tricky and faster changing than ever with too many mixed messages nowadays, and what’s not changing so easily is how certain things help us function and make us feel and at the end of the day, that’s what matters.

  8. Sera says:

    Thank you for this information… its really helpful

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