Breakfast and weight

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BREAKFAST, GRAINS AND WEIGHT LOSS

People who eat dry cereal, cooked cereal, or even quick breads, such

as waffles, and toast for breakfast have significantly lower body mass

index measurements than people who either skip breakfast entirely or chow

down on meat and eggs, according to a study conducted by researchers at

the University of California, Berkeley.

You read that right! Eating cereal and bread is better for your waistline

than skipping breakfast altogether - which has already been established as

a risk factor for being overweight

More of us are skipping breakfast than ever before. In the mid-1960s, just

14 percent dashed out of the house without eating. By the '90s, fully 25

percent did so. It may not be a coincidence then that the number of obese

Americans has also increased from 23 percent in 1994

to 31 percent in 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention.

" More and more Americans are skipping breakfast as the pace of our lives

becomes increasingly hectic, " said Gladys Block, UC Berkeley professor of

nutritional epidemiology and principal investigator of

the study.

Three surprising results:

- People who ate quick breads for breakfast, which include toast,

waffles and pancakes were among those with lower BMIs compared to

other groups.

- Those who ate just meat and eggs for breakfast had higher average

BMIs and ate significantly more calories throughout the day than

people who had something else for breakfast. (See the balancing key

below).

- People who skipped breakfast consumed the least amount of calories

per day, but had higher BMIs. Why? One explanation is that they're

eating the bulk of their calories later in the day, which contributes

the most to weight gain.

Overall, the findings support the theory that a low-fat, high-fiber

breakfast is associated with less weight. And it also points to the

significance of organized meals. Foods that are eaten 'on-the-run' are

typically high in fat and can lead to weight gain.

The study findings were recently published in the Journal of the American

College of Nutrition.