Skipping breakfast may lead to psychosocial health problems in kids: Study

You might have heard people saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day A recent study by researchers in Spain shows that it is in fact true The findings of the research published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition found that young people who eat healthy breakfast at home have higher psychosocial healthWhile earlier research has indicated the importance of a nutritious breakfast this is the first study to investigate the reported effects of whether or not children eat breakfast as well as where and what they consume These findings offer useful insights and advice for parents and their childrenOur results suggest that it is not only important to eat breakfast but its also important where young people eat breakfast and what they eat said first author Dr Jose Francisco LopezGil of the University of CastillaLa Mancha in Cuenca Spain Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast away from home is associated with increased likelihood of psychosocial behavioral problems in children and adolescents Similarly consumption of certain foodsdrinks are associated with higher eg processed meat or lower eg dairies cereals odds of psychosocial behavioral problemsBreakfast mattersIn this study LopezGil and his collaborators analyzed data from the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey This survey included questionnaires both about breakfast habits as well as childrens psychosocial health which included characteristics such as selfesteem mood and anxiety The questionnaires were completed by the childrens parents or guardians and the results included a total of 3772 Spanish residents between the ages of four and 14Among the most important results LopezGil and the team found that eating breakfast away from home was nearly as detrimental as skipping the meal entirely The authors suggest that this may be because meals away from home are frequently less nutritious than those prepared at home The results also showed that coffee milk tea chocolate cocoa yogurt bread toast cereals and pastries were all associated with lower chances of behavioral problems Surprisingly eggs cheese and ham were linked with higher risks of such issuesBeyond nutritionAlthough this study is limited to Spain these findings are consistent with research performed elsewhere The availability of nutritious breakfasts at schools would likely influence the results in some locations But other factors such as the social and family support that young people can receive during breakfast at home may also play a role in the observed benefits The authors emphasize the need for further studies to understand the causeandeffect relationships behind their observations but they still suggest the usefulness of these resultsThe fact that eating breakfast away from home is associated with greater psychosocial health problems is a novel aspect of our study said LopezGil Our findings reinforce the need to promote not only breakfast as part of a healthy lifestyle routine but also that it should be eaten at home Also to prevent psychosocial health problems a breakfast that includes dairy andor cereals and minimizes certain animal foods high in saturated fatcholesterol could help to decrease psychosocial health problems in young peopleAlso read Keep it simple How to plan your daily diet amid a hectic work scheduleThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever