Nutrition For students, two breakfasts are better than no breakfast at all

Second breakfast does not increase the likelihood of overweight or obesity
Morning feeding is associated with improved school performance. Thus it is always advisable for students to have breakfast in the morning. Even a double breakfast does not seem to negatively affect our weight or performance. If students eat breakfast twice in the morning, the likelihood of overweight or obesity increases later on, compared to students who do not eat breakfast in the morning, according to a recent study.

Surely you have countless times heard from your parents as a child, that a decent breakfast is important to start your day well. Researchers from the University of Connecticut have now found in an investigation that students who eat breakfast twice a day do not have an increased risk of overweight or obesity. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Pediatric Obesity".

Students should have breakfast for better school performance. A double breakfast at home and at school does not cause children to become obese or overweight. (Image: Monkey Business / fotolia.com)

Irregular or no breakfast at all doubles the risk of being overweight
Previous studies had suggested that having a morning breakfast can help bring improved performance to the school. It also improves children's health and reduces the likelihood of overweight and obesity, explain the researchers. However, there have been fears that a second breakfast at school can lead to overweight children who have already had breakfast at home, the doctors add. The study evaluated data from nearly 600 students at 12 different schools. They received a complimentary breakfast and a free lunch at their schools. Researchers found that students who skipped breakfast or ate breakfast irregularly were twice as likely to be overweight compared to students who ate a double breakfast. If students eat a double breakfast in the morning from grade 5 to grade 7, they will not be able to measure any particular weight change, the researchers add.

Students should have breakfast in order to perform better
When it comes to the impact of having a second school breakfast on our body weight, the new study clearly shows that having two breakfasts is better than no breakfast at all, Dr. Marlene Schwartz from the University of Connecticut, one of the study authors. Providing a healthy breakfast at school, helping students get the schooling they need, prevents hunger, and even helps maintain a healthy body weight, experts say.

Schools should offer free breakfast
To better assess the impact of a complimentary breakfast, researchers interviewed family members and white-collar workers. A conversation with parents, teachers and administrators revealed that fewer students became ill as a result of a complimentary breakfast. In addition, there were no children at all who complained to the school nurse that they were feeling hungry, the scientists explain. Research shows that having a decent breakfast helps students perform better, improving overall health while not increasing body weight, say the physicians. (As)