The Importance of Eating Breakfast

Lets be honest here we wake up in the morning in a rush, usually late. We hop out of bed, jump into the shower, throw on clothes and run to class. More times than not breakfast is not in the daily routine of kids in College around 30% of college age students don’t eat breakfast every day. That may not seem like a high number but at a school like Penn State that means around 12,000 kids don’t eat breakfast every single day. There are a lot of negative externalities that come from not eating breakfast.

imgres-1Studies show that kids who eat breakfast perform better in school. In “Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine” they released a study that showed that kids who ate breakfast every day had overall a higher math score on their tests. The sample size of this experiment was big enough where a confounding variable would not change the outcome of the study. Also this study is accurate because nothing is being changed in the kids diets. People are merely seeing how kids who eat breakfast do in school compared to kids who do not eat breakfast. Another bad outcome of not eating breakfast is trouble paying attention in class. Also kids who eat breakfast have an easier time paying attention in class. To go further into it kids who ate a breakfast low in sugar paid attention better and got less frustrated while trying to complete school assignments.

imagesAlso breakfast is important because when you wake up your body needs fuel. But instead of going to a gas station all you need to do is make a bowl of Cheerios or a plate of eggs. Studies show that the first 15-20 carbohydrates consumed a day go directly to the brain to get the body functioning.

Not eating breakfast can also lead to obesity. 22% of kids who don’t eat breakfast are obese. This doesn’t seem right because you would assume that if someone skips a meal they should be losing weight because of the lack of a meal. But when people skip breakfast they end up filling up on other unhealthier food throughout the day to try and fill in for the skipped meal. I think that this statistic is a great way to prove the point of the importance of breakfast. The statistic was taken from a large sample size and since there was no experiment needed no confounding variables affected the outcome.   images

Overall, breakfast is crucial to success in school and in life. Without breakfast people spend the start of their days moping around unable to concentrate or be productive. Although eating breakfast makes kids perform better in school there is not a direct causation between the two. Just because someone eats breakfast does not mean that they will do amazing in school. But eating breakfast does give kids the tools to do well because they are more attentive. It is called the most important meal of the day for a reason and we need to make people remember that.

Works Cited:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-breakfast-students-7697.html

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/The-Case-for-Eating-Breakfast.aspx

Click to access IFIC%20Brkfast%20Review%20FINAL.pdf

http://www.statisticbrain.com/breakfast-eating-statistics/

8 thoughts on “The Importance of Eating Breakfast

  1. Jonathan Roger Marcus Post author

    I was also unaware of the correlation between skipping breakfast and obesity before I published this post. I now know the issues that come up when a meal (not just breakfast) is skipped. With all of this new information on my mind I am going to try to eat breakfast as much as I can.

  2. Nygel Giggetts

    Breakfast is named the “most important meal of the day” for a reason. It starts your metabolism, allowing it to get a head start on your upcoming meals for that day. Unfortunately, many college students ( me included) either don’t have time to eat breakfast in the morning or don’t wake up until it is after noon, thus being lunchtime. Great post.

  3. Jon Winneg

    This blog was very interesting and very important to college students like us. I agree that the days I do eat breakfast, I usually have more energy, and I am more focused in class. I also tend to eat less, and strive to eat healthier on the days I decide to eat breakfast. I was not aware of how little you need to eat in order for your brain to get the energy it needs. I also was unaware of the correlation between eating breakfast, and obesity. Even though I now see how it makes sense because when you eat breakfast you are less likely to eat more throughout the day, and also want to snack more. I agree that it is essential to eat breakfast in order to be at the peak of your energy in the morning, and the benefits that go along with just doing something as simple as eating a bowl of cheerios. Maybe check out this link which talks about foods that are better for test taking. http://www.goodluckexams.com/what-to-eat-before-an-exam/

  4. Christine Kavanagh

    We’re always told that it’s never good to skip breakfast, but I have all but cut breakfast out of my life and I don’t think I’ve had any problems. (although I could just be an anecdote) Every time I eat breakfast, I get an upset stomach and it messes up my eating pattern for the rest of the day because I’m not hungry by lunch and then I crave food around 3 PM and 9 PM, which are awkward eating times. They also tell you the way to not over eat is to only eat when you’re hungry, so I never want to force myself to go get breakfast when I don’t feel hungry at all.

    Maybe my body is just so messed up because I’ve been skipping breakfast all these years and I could have improved my life so much more if I had integrated breakfast into it, but I guess I’ll never know. This article kind of reinforces what I said about only eating when you feel you should, but I don’t know if there’s enough credible information to make it legitimate.

  5. Jonathan Roger Marcus Post author

    I also love eating breakfast but never find the time to eat before I am off to class. I did not know that skipping breakfast could cause an irregular menstrual cycle in girls. When ever I eat breakfast I try to eat healthy also. I love egg white omelets with a lot of vegetables. Here are other healthy ideas for breakfast. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/healthy-breakfast

  6. Brittney Ann Strazza

    I personally never wake up early enough to eat breakfast during the weekdays. After reading a few articles on the topic I was surprised to find out that not eating breakfast can also attribute to college women having irregular menstrual cycles and if there periods are regular it skipping breakfast can make them much more painful. We commonly hear about not eating breakfast leading to obesity or impacting performance in school but I have never heard of it impacting menstruation. If you would like to read more on this, here is an article: http://www.livestrong.com/article/292033-side-effects-of-not-eating-breakfast/

  7. Kevin Zheng

    Oh man, I really wish I was strong enough to wake up in the morning and eat breakfast. I love my usual meal at the diner: two eggs cooked over easy, linked sausage, home fries, and white buttered toast. That is one of my all time favorite meals. Unfortunately, I never can wake up early enough to have breakfast. I know this is a bad thing, because you’re right, breakfast does fuel you for the rest of the day. I’ve also heard about how breakfast can help prevent obesity. I read that it somehow regulates the metabolism in your body to work earlier in the day and longer throughout the whole day. Here is a link to where I read some of this information: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080303/eating-breakfast-may-beat-teen-obesity

    Great post!

  8. Madison Canter

    Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day because I love breakfast food. However, with my studies, I end up going to bed too late and not waking up with enough time to eat breakfast. As a result, I usually end up eating after my classes end around 12:30. It is definitely hard to concentrate in class when all you have on your mind is your next meal. A good way to ensure you eat breakfast is to stock up on foods that you can eat on the go, such as oranges, bananas and granola bars. Sometimes I even put dry cereal in a zip log bag and eat it during class. There are so many easy ways to ensure that you get a healthy breakfast. here are some healthy breakfast ideas for busy mornings!

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