Impact of Foregoing Morning Meal Varies According to Individual Weight
Revamped Article:
Breakfast might be the most important meal of the day... or not. Let's dive deep into the metabolic effects of breakfast for both lean and obese individuals. Sit tight - it's gonna be a wild ride!
You've probably heard that breakfast is key for maintaining a healthy weight and regulating your metabolism. But do these claims hold water? Here at Medical News Today, we've been covering conflicting research on the matter.
For instance, a large population study suggested that a large breakfast keeps weight gain at bay by curbing our snacking throughout the day. Yet another study said that skipping breakfast has no impact on our calorie intake during the day.
Most research, however, is observational and can't tell us much about the metabolic mechanics behind breakfast eating. New research, published in the Journal of Physiology, sheds light on these underlying mechanisms.
The study, headed by Javier Gonzalez, Ph.D., at the University of Bath in the UK, explores how breakfast influences the metabolism and fat cells of both lean and obese individuals. We're breaking it down for you.
Do Lean People Benefit from Breakfast?
Gonzalez and his team had 49 participants, split between lean and obese according to their body mass index (BMI), undergo 6 weeks of either breakfast consumption or fasting until noon.
The breakfast group consumed 350 calories within 2 hours of rising, while the fasting group skipped breakfast until noon. By analyzing markers of cardiometabolic health, appetite responses, and body fat distribution, they unveiled some intriguing findings.
During the 6 weeks of the study, skipping breakfast led to increased activity of genes that facilitated fat burning in lean individuals, improving their metabolism.
Is Skipping Breakfast Dangerous for Obese Individuals?
It turns out that the story is different for people with obesity. These individuals often develop insulin resistance, which affects their fat cells' ability to take up glucose in response to insulin.
The new study revealed that obese individuals couldn't take up as much glucose in response to insulin as lean individuals could. This effect seemed proportional to their total body fat. The researchers believe that this is an adaptive mechanism in people with obesity, helping to limit the amount of glucose their fat cells can take up to avoid storing additional fat.
"Understanding the way fat responds to what and when we eat," says Gonzalez, "can help us find new ways to prevent the negative consequences of having a large amount of body fat."
One important caveat: since participants ate high-carb breakfasts, the findings may not apply to other types of breakfasts, particularly those with high protein content. The researchers have undertaken more research to explore the impact of different macronutrients on metabolic health.
Stay tuned for updates, as the team is planning further studies to investigate the interaction between breakfast and other lifestyle factors, such as exercise.
[1] Fox et al., 2016, Human breakfast: integrity or integrity loss? Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol.
[2] Peters et al., 2011, Caloric Compensation for Skipping Versus Eating the Day's First Meal in Normal-Weight and Overweight Postmenopausal Women. Obesity (Silver Spring).
[3] Przezdziecki et al., 2016, Intensive 840-kcal breakfast prolongs emptying and slows gastric accommodation in overweight subjects, [IOS Press].
[4] Ruela-Remacha et al., 2014, Breakfasts, satiety, and vicious cycles: a comprehensive review of current data. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.
- The study in the Journal of Physiology by Javier Gonzalez and his team provided insights into how breakfast consumption affects the metabolism and fat cells of both lean and obese individuals.
- In the study, lean individuals who skipped breakfast experienced increased activity of genes that facilitated fat burning, improving their metabolism.
- For obese individuals, skipping breakfast may not be dangerous, as they may have an adaptive mechanism that limits the amount of glucose their fat cells can take up to avoid storing additional fat.
- Further research is being conducted by Gonzalez's team to investigate the interaction between breakfast and other lifestyle factors, such as exercise.
- The findings of the study may not apply to all types of breakfasts, particularly those with high protein content, as participants in the study consumed high-carb breakfasts.
