Why is breakfast so important in our diet?

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day and is acted as crucial element of nutritional well-being. The name “breakfast” means breaking the fast. We perform different type of activities all day long and breakfast provides energy to perform these activities. In modern world, the skipping breakfast has become common routine of our day and it has drastic health effects. If we start our day with empty stomach, it would cause lot of diseases.

Trend of skipping breakfast has started from past two decades. According to the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey in 1965, there was significant reduction in breakfast consumption from 86% in 1965 to 75% in 1991.

There is no evidence that skipping breakfast has immediate health effects. However, several reports have confirmed that there is relation of skipping breakfast with deadly and fatal health problems.

Unfortunately, this unhealthy habit is present all around the world irrespective of culture, region or race. Hprikawa, et al (2011) mentioned that skipping breakfast started from Western countries, then it spread to Pacific and Asian countries. Even in Japan, similar cases have increased. This trend spread at all human life stages and most concerning phases are adolescence and adult.

According to research done by Shaw (2008), 11.7% of 699, 13 years old adolescence skipped their breakfast. The rate of skipping breakfast in females was found 3 times than males. In females, 47% skipped breakfast in wish of getting perfect body shape.

There are also other valid reasons of this dietary habit which include limited time, less feelings of hunger and disliking of breakfast. There are also lifestyle changes which influenced this habit like sleeping hours, smoking and engagement in physical activities.

It has been scientifically proven that skipping breakfast stimulates the peak postprandial insulin at higher level; high insulin level leads to gain in weight and rise in triglycerides. Its further effects will be obesity and other metabolism health problems.

According to research done by Cahill,et al (2013), skipping meals over many years might lead to insulin sensitivity, which leads to type-2 diabetes and later high blood pressure. There are huge chances of hypertension and stroke because there is reduction in oxygen intake and low oral temperature due to skipping breakfast.

In short, breakfast skipping has strong association with long-term health effects. Omitting the first meal of the day will lead to fatal health problems. We have popular belief that skipping breakfast might be good diet plan to control weight without knowing that this practice would lead to huge deficit of energy.