It may seem like an old-fashioned idea - I'm sure you remember your mom bugging you to eat a good breakfast - but breakfast is still the most important meal of the day for everyone, especially kids and teens. In fact, recent nutritional research has shown that breakfast is even more important then first thought:
- According to the Surgeon General, eating a healthy breakfast may be important in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. It seems they found that teenagers who skip breakfast are more likely to be obese than those who eat a morning meal.
- High school students in one study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics reported more alertness and breakfast had positive short-term effects on their cognitive functioning.
- A study involving 2,216 adolescents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota found that teenagers who regularly eat breakfast tend to exercise more and eat a more healthful diet throughout the rest of the day.
- A study done by Dr. Theresa Nicklas, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found teens who eat breakfast are also two to five times more likely to consume at least two-thirds the recommended amounts of most vitamins and minerals, including iron. Teens who skip breakfast aren't likely to get these important nutrients anywhere else.
- Another study by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed eating breakfast contributes to meeting daily fiber recommendations - fiber intake is important in promoting optimum gastrointestinal function in childhood which could help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer in adulthood.
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