Skipping Breakfast Doubles Risk of Obesity  
A recent study found that regularly skipping breakfast contributes to obesity as much as a family history of type 2 diabetes.  It was conducted by healthcare professionals at the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara, California.

They studied 2,700 high school students in Santa Barbara and discovered that among those who ate breakfast and did not have a family history of diabetes, only 8% were obese.  As you can see from the chart below, those with both risk factors were twice as likely to be obese as those with only one risk factor. 

 

Regularly

Ate Breakfast

Family History

of Diabetes

Percentage

Who Are Obese

  Yes

   No

   8%
  No   No

  16%
  Yes   Yes   18%
  No   Yes   32%

 

Alison Okada Wollitzer, Ph.D., who worked on the study, explained that students who regularly eat breakfast are more likely to avoid junk food at lunch and eat fruits and vegetables.  They’re also more inclined to exercise.

Source:

“No Breakfast? Obesity Risk Is More Than Believed”

Kilgore, Christine, Pediatric News, August 2006 (Vol. 40, Issue 8, Page 47)

http://www.pediatricnews.com/article/PIIS0031398X06712498/fulltext
Our Health Flash highlights news and research about common health problems like obesity, diabetes and depression; lifestyle concerns like smoking, dietary habits and exercise; and issues that impact the way we spend money on healthcare.  The goal is to keep an eye on advances in the medical community that have an impact on each of us and to share advice from the experts for leading healthier lives.