How does breakfast help manage body weight?

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Three independent experts help explain how breakfast may be involved in shape management.   They gathered as part of a satellite symposium held at the Queen’s University of Belfast.   We invite you to watch the video recap below and review their findings.

The observational evidence:

Dr. Margaret Ashwell,  Ashwell Associates

There is consistent scientific evidence of an association between breakfast cereal consumption and a healthy weight in adults and in children. But, to date, there is limited evidence for any plausible biological mechanisms that would point to it being a causal relationship.

There is however new research that indicates there is something worth investigating in the effect of the breakfast meal and what we can be sure of is that, although it is important to follow a healthy, balanced diet along with plenty of exercise, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

The physiological reasons:

Dr. Jonathan Johnston, University of Surrey

Diet, metabolism and circadian rhythms are closely linked. It appears that we may be 'when we eat' as well as 'what we eat'. Circadian clocks are now known to be present throughout the body, including in key metabolic tissues. Recent studies have begun to decipher the physiological role of these clocks and thus physiological mechanisms that underlie daily rhythms in metabolism and postprandial response.

A second line of research is investigating how appropriately timed food intake can actually reset the timing of circadian rhythms. Data from this work suggest that the use of timed dietary interventions may confer many benefits; from improving the health of society to minimising the adverse effects associated with shift work and jet lag.  

 

The plausible mechanisms:

Dr. Sue Reeves, University of Roehampton

Since the evidence available is unable to clarify the mechanisms that link BMI with regular breakfast consumption a recent study at the University of Roehampton aimed to explain this association with an experimental trial to establish underlying differences between breakfast eaters and breakfast skippers that were normal weight and overweight.

Measures of resting metabolic rate (RMR), dietary induced thermogenesis (DIT), blood glucose, hunger, physical activity and ‘morningness’ (an indicator of personal circadian rhythm) were repeatedly made in the laboratory. Results thus far have indicated differences in morningness, hunger levels and caffeine consumption between breakfast skippers and non-breakfast skippers.

Overweight breakfast skippers also appeared to have lower RMR and blunted DIT following breakfast whilst exhibiting greater levels of physical activity. Physiological and behavioural predispositions that determine breakfasting habits and responses to breakfast will be explored.

Source:http://www.kelloggsnutrition.com