We've heard time and time again about the importance of eating breakfast but a new study suggests cutting back on what you eat in the morning might help you eat less during the rest of your waking hours.
The results show that, the more calories people eat at breakfast, the higher their total daily calorie intake is. This finding was true of both obese and normal weight people.
Participants ate around 500 to 550 calories for lunch and dinner, regardless of how much they ate for breakfast - it didn't matter whether they skipped it entirely or had a hearty morning meal, the researchers said.
As a result, those who ate a big breakfast - on average, 400 calories more than a small breakfast - took in 400 extra calories during their day.
"Overweight and obese subjects should consider the reduction of breakfast calories as a simple option to improve their daily energy balance," the researchers said.
However, other experts said this study isn't enough to rule out the importance of breakfast, and more work is needed to determine whether reducing your morning calories actually leads to weight loss.
Katherine Tallmadge, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said that in her experience, "It's easier for people to eat healthy if they eat better breakfast."
Can Eating Less at Breakfast Help You Lose Weight?
