Teenage Obesity: Skipping Breakfast can Make Teens Fat

It is hard to imagine but today approximately one in three kids and teens in America are overweight or obese and that is nearly three times the rate in 1963. In fact, childhood and teen obesity is now the number one health issue among parents in the United States, more than smoking and drug abuse.  Obesity in teens is causing a wide variety of health problems that typically were not seen until adulthood; including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. 

There are factors we read about or hear on the news that are contributing to teenage obesity. Fast foods, extensive time in front of the television and the computer each week, and the lack of physical activity amongst our teens.  But believe it or not, skipping breakfast may be another critical contributor to obesity in teens. You have likely heard many times that breakfast is good for you. Food provides energy. Skipping breakfast deprives you that energy; an important part of combating obesity. Maintaining a daily caloric intake is helpful but it is as vital to allocate those calories throughout the day for balance. Restricting calories causes your body to hold on to excess weight. Frequent rising and falling of blood sugar makes it difficult for your body to metabolize foods properly and could contribute to obesity. 

Research claims that about 12 to 34% of children and adolescents omit their breakfast and that percentage increases with growing years. Researchers from the University of Minnesota are of the opinion that skipping breakfast does not help you lose calories; quite the opposite. Skipping breakfast may lead to overeating and habitual binging in the later hours of the day; all part of unhealthy eating patterns that can lead to obesity. Or you may make unhealthy choices by choosing foods that are higher in fat and carbohydrates because they appear to be more filling. Repeating this pattern over time will contribute to teenage obesity. 

However, eating breakfast can help teens fight obesity in the later years of life. Some results of the study, published in Pediatrics, reported the following results with regard to teens that ate breakfast regularly and obesity: 

•These teens remained physically active throughout their growing years. 

•These teens were recorded with a lower body mass index; a way of measuring weight according to height in order to estimate obesity levels. 

•These teens had less saturated fat and, therefore, weighed less and gained less weight. 

•These teens ate more fiber and carbohydrates as compared to those teenagers who skipped breakfast.  

  

While researchers continue to pave the way, breakfast proves to be an effective tool for preventing teenage obesity and a healthy breakfast can also set off healthy daily eating patterns. Remember, when it comes to family safety you are not alone. Your teen’s doctor is on your side and wants to help you avoid the obstacles of obesity.