CANADA: Research Shows Breakfast Limits Weight Gain In 40 - 75 Years Age Group

VANCOUVER, BC (International Council On Active Ageing), January 23, 2008: Breakfast limits weight gain, the January edition of ICAA Ageing Review says. People who eat breakfast do not gain as much body weight as those who do not, according to a study of 6,764 men and women ages 40-75 years who completed a food diary at baseline and again at follow-up. Average body mass index was lowest among the people who had the highest percentage of daily energy intake consumed at breakfast. Citing the American Journal of Epidemiology (January 15, 2008), ICAA, says: To investigate the association between percentage of total daily energy intake consumed at breakfast and weight change in middle-aged men and women, a group of researchers analyzed data from a prospective population-based cohort study from Norfolk, United Kingdom. Participants were 6,764 men and women aged 40–75 years at baseline (1993–1997). Participants completed a 7-day food diary at baseline, and objective measurements of height and weight were carried out at baseline and follow-up. Mean baseline body mass index was lowest among persons in the highest quintile of percentage of daily energy consumed at breakfast, despite higher daily total energy intake in this group. Although all participants gained weight, increased percentage of daily energy consumed at breakfast was associated with relatively lower weight gain. The association between percentage of daily energy intake consumed at breakfast and weight gain was independent of age, sex, smoking, total energy intake, macronutrient intake, social class, and physical activity. Redistribution of daily energy intake, so that more energy is consumed at breakfast and less energy is consumed later in the day, may help to reduce weight gain in adults aged 40 - 75 years, the researchers said. Copyright 2006 ICAA