Breakfast skipping and its relation to BMI and health-compromising behaviours among Greek adolescents

Abstract

Objective: The increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide is a major health concern. Our study, which is part of the First National Epidemiological Study of Obesity in Greece, aimed to assess (i) breakfast habits and their relationship to BMI in Greek adolescents, as well as (ii) breakfast skipping in relation to other health behaviours. Design: Epidemiological survey throughout Greece. Participants completed a questionnaire concerning breakfast habits and many lifestyle parameters. Setting: The survey was conducted in schools throughout Greece. Subjects: Anthropometric measurements were performed on 6500 boys and 7778 girls, aged 13-19 years, from schools throughout Greece. Results: Among both boys and girls, breakfast consumers had a lower BMI than breakfast skippers. Moreover, breakfast skippers among both boys and girls were found to smoke more than breakfast consumers. The proportion of boys and girls who ate breakfast was found to be greater among those who had never been on a diet than among those who had already experienced dieting. Leisure-time activity was greater in breakfast consumers than breakfast skippers; among boys, 71?8 % of breakfast consumers walked compared with 66?4 % of breakfast skippers, whereas 38?4 % and 35?0 %, respectively, exercised. Among girls, these percentages were 73?1 % v. 68?7 % for walking and 36?7 % v. 31?5 % for exercising. Conclusions: We found that breakfast skipping can be part of a constellation of several unhealthy lifestyle parameters and is related to higher BMI in Greek adolescents.

Breakfast Consumption and Its Associations with Health-Related Behaviors among School-Aged Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Zhejiang Province, China

“…In our study, we did not find significant differences in the frequency of daily breakfast consumption between boys and girls. In the current study, older adolescents were found to consume breakfast irregularly more often, compared to those who are younger, which was consistent with previous studies [11,16,20]. The age disadvantage of older adolescents in breakfast consumption could be explained by the decreased parental influence, greater concerns about their body image and time considerations [16,23].…”

“…To formulate comprehensive health promotion strategies, a number of studies have explored the interrelations between multiple health-related behaviors, which involve dietary patterns, as well as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and physical activity [15,16,17,18]. Recently, the associations between breakfast consumption and a clustering of health-related behaviors have received more attention from public health professionals.…”

Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Its Relationships to Overall Diet Quality, Using Healthy Eating Index 2010, and Body Mass Index among Adolescents in a Low-Income Urban Setting

“…However, this relationship did trend toward significance, which may warrant further research. Relationships between BMI and breakfast consumption have not been well established in the literature (Abalkhail and Shawky 2002; Boutelle et al 2002; Kapantais et al 2011; Lawman et al 2014; Nuru and Mamang 2015; Ostachowska-Gasior et al 2016; Resnicow 1991; Siega-Riz, Popkin, and Carson 1998; Sjöberg et al 2003; Walker et al 1982; Wolfe et al 1994). In a recent publication assessing myths, presumptions, and facts about obesity, Casazza et al (2013) delved into the presumption that breakfast consumption protects against obesity and found there was no difference in weight among those assigned to skip breakfast versus those assigned to eat breakfast (Astbury, Taylor, and Macdonald 2011; Casazza et al 2013; Farshchi, Taylor, and Macdonald 2005).…”

Nutritional Status Associated to Skipping Breakfast in Brazilian Health Service Patients

“…Therefore, this study evidenced an association between the habit of skipping breakfast with obesity and a higher total calorie intake, which can be understood as a metabolism compensation [38,43], as the individual eats more calories during the day to compensate the lack of breakfast [9,44]. This process may facilitate the intake of excessive calories, which was observed in this study and corroborated by previous studies [12,18] providing evidence that skipping breakfast is not an effective way to manage weight [45].…”

“…The epigenetic factors also play an important role in the development of obesity, especially because the main characteristic that triggers the fat accumulation is the imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure [7]. The energy imbalance that have been associated with the genesis of obesity may be explained by the recent changes observed in the population's dietary patterns, which includes an increasing intake of energy-dense food products, caloric beverages (such as soft drinks) and processed food products, besides the diminished frequency of physical activity observed nowadays [8,9]. …”