Frequency of Breakfast Consumption, Obesity and Weight Gain
Authors: Smith Kevin L. , Boeve Angelica R. , Somers Virend K. , Bukartyk Jan , Singh Prachi , Covassin Naima 
Published: June 2021

Background

Numerous studies have identified an association between frequency of breakfast consumption and body weight in children and adolescents, indicating that those who skip this meal are more likely to gain weight and develop obesity in adulthood. However, few studies have examined the implications of infrequent breakfast consumption for obesity risk in the adult population, and available data are mixed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of breakfast consumption on obesity indices and weight gain in a sample of healthy adults.

Methods

The study sample was drawn from a cohort of consecutive subjects who were recruited for research studies at the Cardiovascular/Sleep Laboratory at Mayo Clinic from 2005 to 2017 and consisted of 347 healthy adults (215 males, mean age 35.5±15.4 years, ranging from 18 to 87 years old). Physical examination and review of medical records were conducted to ensure absence of overt disease. Measures of height, weight, waist and hip circumference were obtained. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR) were computed. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Weight gain over the past year was quantified from self‐report. Frequency of breakfast consumption (times/week, range 0 to 7) was collected from questionnaire and coded as “never” (0 times/week), “infrequent” (1 to 4 times/week), and “frequent” (5 to 7 times/week). Only those who reported the same breakfast routine for ≥2 years were included in the analysis.

Results

Four percent of the sample (n=15) reported never consuming breakfast and 24% (n=85) reported eating it infrequently. Compared to the individuals who consumed it frequently, those who never or infrequently had breakfast were predominately men (P=0.049) and older (P=0.001). Waist circumference was larger in those who skipped breakfast in comparison to those who consumed it 1–4 times/week or 5–7 times/week (97.5±17.9 cm vs. 85.6±11 cm vs. 87.7±15 cm, respectively; P=0.017). There were no significant differences in hip circumference, WHR, or BMI across breakfast eating patterns. Prevalence of obesity tended to be higher among those who skipped breakfast than in those who ate it frequently (26.7% vs. 10.9%, P=0.074). Individuals who did not consume breakfast reported the greatest weight gain, followed by those who consumed it 1–4 times/week, while the lowest weight gain was reported by those who had breakfast 5–7 times/week (3.6±6.9 kg vs. 2±2.3 kg vs. 1.3±2.2 kg; P=0.002). In a multivariable model, skipping breakfast predicted weight gain independently of age, gender, and BMI (P=0.004).

Conclusions

Infrequent breakfast consumption is associated with indices of central obesity and weight gain, with these associations being more evident in individuals who never eat breakfast. Our findings on healthy adults are consistent with prior observations in the young, corroborating the concept that regular consumption of this meal is an important and independent contributor of healthy weight at all ages.

Support or Funding Information

American Heart Association grant 16SDG27250156; National Institutes of Health grants RO1 HL 114676 and HL 114024; CCaTS Early Stage Investigator Award.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.