Breakfast and Health in Adolescents

Breakfast is an important meal for adolescents to supply adequate nutrition for growth and maintenance and to prevent chronic disease. Nevertheless, the rate of skipping breakfast, which decreased 6 years ago, has gradually increased again in recent years in Korea. Manystudies show that skipping breakfast increases the risk for obesity, amenorrhea, and poor academic performance. The recommended breakfast for adolescents is a low glycemic load (GL) diet, fiber-rich family breakfast. The hunger and lazy feeling after breakfast are enhanced by a high GL and low fiber diet, which leads to additional intake of calories. A family breakfast can help to maintain a healthy life-style and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease. (Korean J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2011; 14: 340∼349)