That Missed Breakfast May Not Be a Problem at All : Diets: A magazine debunks traditional thinking about the morning meal. The article contends that ‘we’ve been conned.’

The days when mom forced you to eat your oatmeal before you jumped on the school bus are long gone.

Today, despite the morning chaos as you get your children on the bus before you head for work, an inner voice that sounds a lot like mom’s might be reminding you to eat breakfast. If you don’t, you may feel guilty.

Many of us share that belief in breakfast. A study by the Kellogg Co. showed that nine out of 10 people consider breakfast important, and more than two-thirds believe it is very important.

But an article in a recent issue of Self magazine debunks traditional thinking about the morning meal, contending that “we’ve been conned.”

“I think the most important thing we need to say about breakfast is it’s as important as any other meal you eat during the day, not more so,” said Trish Thompson, the magazine’s health editor. “What’s important is what you eat. It’s not what the meal is called, or when it happens.”

The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day partially stems from a 1940s test that was conducted in Iowa’s public schools. That study found that children who ate breakfast performed better on tests than children who did not.

The magazine article, however, said the Iowa test held the potential for bias because students and teachers knew who had and had not eaten breakfast.

Also, findings that apply to children might not be relevant for adults. Children have a higher energy, or caloric, requirement in relation to their body weight than adults.

But the energy requirements of adults who work out in the morning or perform heavy physical labor are greater than those who sit at a desk. These people should eat breakfast.

“What we know from studies is that if you’re either doing a hefty amount of exercise first thing in the morning or have a physically taxing job, it’s probably a good idea to eat something,” Thompson said.

“You’re using up a lot of energy at the beginning of the day after having fasted all night. If you’re somebody who’s running 10 miles in the morning, you ought to eat something.”

The type of meal best for early morning exercisers is high in carbohydrates, which are digested quickly and convert to ready-to-burn glucose.

“If you’re heading to the office rather than a track meet, the boost from breakfast is probably more psychological than anything else,” the magazine article reported.

“For many people, skipping breakfast is like getting up on the wrong side of the bed. What’s on the plate doesn’t really matter. If you believe in it, it probably helps.”

Another false notion is that skipping breakfast will lead to overeating later in the day, the magazine said. Eating often is tied more to psychological or sensory cues than actual hunger.

“We need to pay more attention to eating because we’re hungry, not because we see something or smell something we like or because we’ve grown up hearing that we should eat at certain times of the day,” Thompson said. “Basically, you shouldn’t eat breakfast if you’re not hungry.”

Typical wisdom is that breakfast is important because it breaks a fast of several hours. Thompson said each person’s energy level differs. And this, he said, can determine whether they need to eat breakfast.

“I think we all have to pay attention to the physical cues our bodies give off. If we really feel lethargic, dragging, and we haven’t eaten anything for six or seven hours, there’s an excellent chance we need to eat,” she said.

“But for people who don’t have chronic conditions like low blood sugar or diabetes, or any health problems, I don’t think we need to be concerned about measuring the distance between our meals so much.

“You should be paying more attention to how you feel and when you feel best,” Thompson said. “Some people feel best eating six small meals a day, while others feel best eating three meals a day.”