Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day by many people, and its consumption can probably be a good way to keep school children happy. A study of 150,000 children and teenagers around the world shows that those who eat breakfast are more satisfied with life than those who skip this meal.
The study participants were between 10 and 17 years old and came from 42 different countries, including Russia, England, Scotland, Canada and many other countries in Europe and the Middle East. In a questionnaire, they were asked, “How often do you usually have breakfast, that is, something more than a glass of milk or juice?” The answers included school days and weekends.
Then, the participants were asked to rate their perceived quality of life on a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 is the highest imaginable quality of life and 0 represents the worst imaginable quality of life. When the results were plotted on a graph where one axis was breakfast frequency and the other was perceived quality of life, an almost straight line appeared between the data points.
Francisco López-Gil
After the international team of researchers controlled for influencing factors such as gender, age, social and economic status, fruit and vegetable consumption, sweets consumption, frequency of family meals, physical activity and body mass index, the result was determined.
Those who never ate breakfast had the lowest average life satisfaction scores
At the top of the graph were participants who said they ate breakfast every day, whether it was a school day or the weekend. This group had the highest life satisfaction score with an average of 6.3 to 6.6. At the bottom of the line were those who never ate breakfast. They showed the lowest average life satisfaction scores with an average of 5.5 to 5.8.
Lee Smith“The results show some inconsistencies between countries, which may be influenced by diverse cultures and lifestyles and socio-economic factors,” said the study’s lead author and an epidemiologist from Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. “However, our results show that in all countries surveyed, reported overall life satisfaction is higher among people who eat breakfast than those who never eat breakfast.”
The findings of the new study are consistent with an Australian study of more than 70,000 children. The findings of that research showed that not eating breakfast is related to low life satisfaction in boys and girls aged 8 to 18 years. It was not clear whether this association was specifically due to skipping breakfast or skipping all meals. But more specific research has shown that a nutritious breakfast is associated with numerous benefits for mental and physical health, including improved memory, cognitive function, and physical activity.
It’s important to note that the results are based on cohort studies, meaning that breakfast consumption may not necessarily be the cause. It may even be that whatever is causing breakfast to be skipped is behind other negative consequences.
However, a convincing study from Korea showed that by increasing the frequency of breakfast consumption in children, their “somatic” symptoms such as breathing rate, fatigue, sleep problems, nausea, appetite, headache and fever also decreased.
The benefits of breakfast may not be just for the young. In 2022, a meta-analysis found that skipping breakfast was positively associated with an increased risk of depression, stress, and psychological distress in all age groups, especially those under 18.
Studies have repeatedly shown that skipping breakfast is associated with an increase in stress levels, irritability and a decrease in overall mood in the adolescent age group. This relationship is thought to be due to breakfast’s role in stabilizing blood sugar levels, providing essential nutrients, and kick-starting the body’s metabolism after a night of fasting.
Without a morning meal, teens may experience low energy and difficulty concentrating, which may lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, or sadness throughout the day. Regular breakfast consumption is important for emotional well-being in young people and potentially affects their psychological and academic performance.
Eating a nutritious breakfast increases concentration, memory and learning ability
However, the relationship between regular breakfast consumption and adolescents’ perceived satisfaction with life has not been sufficiently investigated. As a result, no one really knows why breakfast is so strongly associated with teenage moods.
“Eating an adequate breakfast provides the energy and nutrients necessary for optimal cognitive function and increases concentration, memory and learning ability,” explains Smith.
Eating breakfast regularly provides the body with important vitamins and minerals that help you feel good and stay healthy. If you routinely skip breakfast, you may be missing out on these nutrients and as a result feel less happy over time. In addition, eating breakfast every day can create a routine that helps you start your day on a positive note and be more disciplined and motivated at other times of the day.
The study is published in the BMC Nutrition Journal.
