The Dangers of Skipping Breakfast

Scientists from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain have discovered that skipping breakfast poses risks to the mental health of children and youth. A statement published on MedicalXpress indicates that this study involved 3,772 volunteers from Spain aged 4-14 years, whose parents filled out questionnaires about eating habits and psychological and social indicators such as self-esteem, mood, and anxiety. Researchers found that having breakfast outside of the home is nearly as harmful as not eating at all. They hypothesize that this may be linked to the fact that foods eaten outside the home are not as nutritious as home-cooked meals. It also became evident that coffee, milk, tea, chocolate, cocoa, yogurt, bread, cereals, and pastries are not significantly associated with the emergence of behavioral problems, while eggs, cheese, and meat are more closely linked to psychological and social issues. Researchers point out that family support for children at home during breakfast may play a positive role in these matters. They emphasize the need for further studies in this area to determine the causal relationship of the results they obtained.