Eat Breakfast, Cut Diabetes Risk

A recent study has revealed that people, who eat breakfast every day, are less likely to develop obesity, type 2 diabetes or even fat around the tummy. Presented at the annual meeting of American Diabetes Association, the study includes over 5,000 men and women, none of whom had type 2 diabetes when they entered the study.

When the participants were seven years into the study, they filled out diet questionnaires that included a question on how many times they ate breakfast in a week. Their reports were followed for an average of 18 years. The study revealed that people, who ate breakfast every day, fared best. Compared with people, who ate breakfast for as few times as three times or less a week, they were:

• 43% less likely to develop obesity

• 34% less likely to have type 2 diabetes and

• 40% less likely to develop abdominal obesity.

Participants, who ate breakfast at least four to six times per week as well and were better in comparison with people, who did not eat breakfast for more than three times per week. The former were:

• 24% less likely to have type 2 diabetes later in their life and

• 35% less likely to develop obesity.

The study considered the risk factors for diabetes and obesity such as race, sex, age, physical activities, how many times people consumed fast food, daily calories and unhealthy activities such as drinking and smoking.  The likelihood of developing diseases was not specific to any particular food. Odegaard said that the findings were true notwithstanding the kind of breakfast the participants had. Rober E.Ratner, MD, Chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association said that though there was no link between a particular food to an increased risk of developing diseases in the long-run, what one eats does impact the risk and therefore, it is important that one pays close attention to his/her diet.

Ratner also mentioned that though eating breakfast everyday to avoid diabetes risk seems like a sensible advice, it does not prove that breakfast really makes a difference. He further added that people, who eat breakfast every day are more or less likely to have healthy eating habits that can possibly explain the association.

To protect oneself from developing such disorders, the American Diabetes Association recommends eating a diet that is dense in vegetables, fruits, non fat dairy products, while grains, beans, poultry, fish and lean meats.

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