Breakfasting can help obese stay active

Washington D.C.: The best way to make the most of the day is to kick-start with a breakfast as according to a new study, breakfasting can help obese people get more active.

The University of Bath research analysed the links between breakfast and health for individuals classed as 'obese,' comparing the results from a fasting group with a breakfasting group.

Eating breakfast did not make obese individuals lose weight but did result in more physical activity in the morning and reduced food intake later in the day, meaning both groups ate similar amounts overall.

Increasing activity is one of the most important ways to improve health in our increasingly sedentary population, so the researchers suggest this could be a key benefit.

Lead researcher James Betts explains that despite many people offering opinions about whether or not you should eat breakfast, to date there has been a lack of rigorous scientific evidence showing how, or whether, breakfast might cause changes in our health.

Betts noted that their studies highlight some of these impacts, but "how important" breakfast is still really depends on the individual and their own personal goals.

Lead author Enhad Chowdhury, added that it is important to bear in mind that not everybody responds in the same way to breakfast and that not all breakfasts are equal. The effects of a sugary cereal compared to a high protein breakfast are likely to be quite different.

Chowdhury noted, "As we progress the Bath Breakfast Project we want to narrow down the effects of different types of breakfast upon health."

The study is published in the journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.