It’s okay for children to skip breakfast, is it healthier to go hungry?

Fact: This statement is incorrect. Children skipping breakfast does not necessarily lead to a direct decline in intelligence, but it may affect short-term learning, cognitive performance and physical health.

Analysis: Studies have shown that there is a significant association between eating breakfast and children's cognitive performance, academic performance, and overall health. Breakfast provides the brain with necessary energy and nutrients, supporting concentration and memory. Lack of breakfast may lead to insufficient energy and affect their academic performance in school.

Possible negative effects of skipping breakfast include:

Attention and learning ability: Lack of energy from breakfast may affect children's concentration in the morning, such as inattention and decreased memory.

Emotional and behavioral problems: When children are low on energy, they may become emotionally unstable, irritable, or tired.

Malnutrition: If children skip breakfast for a long time, they may not get enough vitamins and minerals, which may affect their growth and development.

Overeating: Being too hungry in the morning may cause children to eat too much at the next meal, which may put them at risk of becoming overweight or obese. Overeating can also affect digestion and sleep.

To ensure the healthy development of children, it is recommended that children eat breakfast on time every day and ensure that it is balanced and contains sufficient carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. This not only provides energy support for morning study, but also helps maintain good physical health.

References

[1] Adolphus K, Lawton CL, Champ CL, Dye L. The Effects of Breakfast and Breakfast Composition on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Adv Nutr. 2016 May 16;7(3):590S-612S. doi: 10.3945/an.115.010256. PMID: 27184287; PMCID: PMC4863264.

[2] Gibney MJ, Barr SI, Bellisle F, Drewnowski A, Fagt S, Livingstone B, Masset G, Varela Moreiras G, Moreno LA, Smith J, Vieux F, Thielecke F, Hopkins S. Breakfast in Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative. Nutrients. 2018 May 1;10(5):559. doi: 10.3390/nu10050559. PMID: 29723985; PMCID: PMC5986439.

Author: Fan Yunzhu, Chief Physician of Jiahui Medical

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association, National Health Science Popularization Expert