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Based on tradition, breakfast has always been considered the most important meal of the day. We often hear this from our folks but there are some who defy that belief and eventually skip the alleged “most important meal of the day”.

The reasoning behind breakfast being the most important meal of the day is simple – it allows us to ample time throughout the day to burn them. Paired with good sleep and exercise, this is one of the long-time beliefs that many still cling on to.

But is it a myth or a reality? This question gains more ground following a study showing that eating breakfast was not consistently associated with body mass index or overweight cases. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who do follow the breakfast eating practice show no significant difference to those who do skip the morning meal.

It could be a case of eating habits with some preferring not to immediately eat after getting up. Some would prefer to have coffee instead and save their appetite for bigger meals like lunch (or brunch – breakfast+lunch) instead.

But would this not lead to obesity? It may all boil down to what a person eats.

"If [your] breakfast is based on highly processed carbohydrates [such as sugary cereals or sweet rolls], it may be as bad [as], or worse than, skipping breakfast," explains David Ludwig, an obesity researcher, nutrition professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, and author of the book ‘Always Hungry?’

The reason behind this is the refined carbs and sugar that the human body consumes. A protein-rich breakfast (i.e. eggs) is seen as something that could soothe the body longer and delay the hunger that individuals are bound to crave for.

"The high insulin programs the body for fat storage, making it hard to cut back calories," adds Ludwig.
An ideal breakfast seems to be a mix of eggs, mix of fresh greens and some pumpkin seeds according to Drew Ramsey, a psychiatrist at Columbia University.

Adding more light to this may be the fact that high protein meals may help people control their appetites and eat less the remainder of the day according to another study.