Breakfast Key to Staying Slim

A long-term study examining the eating habits of girls revealed that thosewho ate breakfast every day were more likely to have a lower body massindex (BMI) than those who did not eat breakfast. The study, funded by theNational Institutes of Health (NIH) and General Mills Inc, tracked 2379 girlsfrom ages 9 to 19 and found the BMI of breakfast eaters to be 0.7units lower than breakfast skippers. If the breakfast includedcereal, the average BMI was 1.65 units lower. NIHPresident and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Bartonsuggested that the fiber in cereal and healthierfoods that normally accompany cereal (eg, milkand juice) may account for the reduced BMI.As the girls got older, their breakfast consumptiondropped and they were prone toeating fattier foods later in the day. Whilethe study did not specify what types ofcereal the girls were eating, according toJohn Kirwan of Case Western ReserveUniversity's Schwartz Center forNutrition and Metabolism, "those whoeat breakfast on a regular basis aremore likely to have a structured eatingplan throughout the day and are lesslikely to snack between meals."

Ms. Farley is a freelance medical writer based in Wakefield, RI.