A story appeared in the media today, based on a research paper published in the United States. It was reported as saying that eating a fatty fried breakfast every day was the best start to the day. There are a number of reasons why this story about the health benefits of a regular fry-up should be carefully interpreted:
1) This study¹was on done on mice not men. Rodents are running around all day and do not take the car to work, the escalator to their desks and then sit there for the best part of the day like Humans. With regard to exercise patterns, which have to be considered in any story about what we eat and links to health, it’s just not comparing like with like.
2) This is just one study. There are around 20 scientific studies – in humans – that show that people who eat breakfast cereals tend to be slimmer than those that don’t ²
3) There are countless studies linking excessive saturated fat to increased LDL cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease³. It’s irresponsible to suggest that everyone should saturate their arteries with fat on the basis of one study on mice.
4) The average calorie content of even the healthiest cooked breakfast (1 poached egg, 1 slice of grilled lean bacon, 2 slices of wholemeal toast and butter and a small serving of baked beans is almost 450 calories compared to the average calorie content of a bowl of cereal and semi-skimmed milk at 170 calories. Eating less calories than we burn is the simple answer to avoiding weight gain.
5) Not only will regular fry-ups increase the risks of heart disease and obesity, but clinical evidence from the World Cancer Research Fund research in 2008 (Martin Wiseman) showed that eating a full English could increase the risk of developing bowel cancer by 63 per cent too.
6) A healthy diet is not about some foods being good and others being bad, it’s about finding a balance and taking part in exercise or activity every day.
7) It’s true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but normal healthy eating principles apply - save the full English for the occasional treat!
For further information contact the BCIS Team on:
Email: info@breakfastcereal.org
Notes to Editors:
References:
§ ¹ MS Bray (2010) Time-of-day dependence dietary fat consumption influences multiple cardiometabolic syndrome parameters in mice. International Journal of Obesity 2010 1-10.
§ ² De la Hunty A, Ashwell A. Are people who regularly eat breakfast cereals slimmer than those who don't? A systematic review of the evidence. Nutrition Bulletin 2007;32:, 118-128.
§ Panagiotakos DB, Antonogeorgos G, Papadimitriou A et al. Breakfast cereal is associated with a lower prevalence of obesity among 10-12-year-old children: the PANACEA study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2008 Nov;18(9):606-12.
§ Liu S et al (2003) Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity in middle-aged women. American Journal Clinical Nutrition 78:920-927
§ Koh Banerjee P et al (2003) Changes to whole grain, bran and cereal fiber consumption relates to 8-y weight gain among men. American Journal Clinical Nutrition 80:1237-1245
§ Bertrais S et al (2000) Contribution of ready-to-eat cereals to nutrition intakes in French adults and relations with corpulence. Ann Nutr Metab 44:249-55
§ Serra Majem and Aranceta Bartrina (2000) Desayuno y equilibrio alimentario. Estudio enKKid. Masson. 226 pages
§ Cho S et al (2003) The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) J Am Coll Nutr 22:296-302
§ Gibson and O’Sullivan (1995) Breakfast cereal consumption patterns and nutrient intakes in British School Children. J R Soc Health 115:366-370
§ Albertson AL et al (2003) Ready-to-eat cereal consumption: it’s relationship with BMI and nutrient intake of children aged 4 to 12 years. J Am Diet Assoc 103:1613-1619
§ Gibson and O’Sullivan (1995) Breakfast cereal consumption patterns and nutrient intakes in British School Children. J R Soc Health 115:366-370
§ Waller SM et al (2004) Evening ready-to-eat cereal consumption contributes to weight management. J Am Coll Nutr 23:316-21
§ Researchers from the National Weight Control Registry, a database of more than 3,000 people who have lost at least 60 pounds and kept it off for an average of 6 years, found that eating breakfast every day was a weight control strategy for 78% of the people in the registry
§ Haines et al (1996). Trends in breakfast consumption of US adults between 1965-1991. JADA 96: 464-470
§ Dubois, L., Girard, M., et al. (2009). Breakfast skipping is associated with differences in meal patterns, micronutrient intakes and overweight among pre-school children. Public Health Nutrition 12(01): 19.28
§ Timlin, M. T., Pereira, M. A. (2007). Breakfast frequency and quality in the etiology of adult obesity and chronic diseases. Nutrition Reviews 65: 268-281.
§ ³ Grundy SM. Dietary influences on serum lipids and lipoproteins. J Lipid Res 1990;31:1149-72.
§ Clarke R, Frost C, Collins R, Appleby P, Peto R. Dietary lipids and blood cholesterol: quantitative meta-analysis of metabolic ward studies. BMJ 1997; 314: 112-117
§ Hegsted DM, Austman LM, Johnson JA, Dallal GE. Dietary fat and serum lipids: an evaluation of the experimental data. Am J Clin Nutr 1993;57:875-83.
§ Mensink RP, Katan MB. Effect of dietary trans fatty acids on high-density and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in healthy subjects. N Engl J Med 1990;323:439-45.
