Skip Breakfast, Get Fat
Skip Breakfast, Get Fat
But more meals, if smaller, could make you thinner, study finds
FRIDAY, July 11 (HealthDayNews) — It’s a prime piece of conventional wisdom: Eat right before you go to bed and you’ll get fat.
But new research suggests that late eaters are no more likely to be overweight than anyone else. It’s what you consume the rest of the day — especially in the morning — that counts.
Americans who regularly skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be fat, researchers found. But, in good news for the nibblers among us, those who eat four or more meals a day are actually on the thinner side.
“”We tend to eat because of external cues instead of internal cues — we eat until the plate’s clean. If the plate has a lot less food on it, perhaps you’ll be eating less,”" says Ruth Kava, director of nutrition with the American Council on Science and Health.
Researchers launched their study because experts don’t fully understand how eating habits — such as the timing and frequency of meals — are tied to obesity, says study co-author Yunsheng Ma, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The researchers examined a national cholesterol study that took place from 1994 to 1998. A total of 499 people reported five times a year on what they ate over 24 hours.
The findings of the study appear in the current issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Ma and his colleagues found people who ate more than three times a day were about half as likely to be fat as those who ate three or fewer times a day. Ma suspects the difference may have something to do with fewer spikes in blood sugar levels among the frequent eaters.
Insulin levels go up when blood sugar rises, contributing to hunger and the buildup of fat, Ma says. Similar factors may be at work among those who frequently eat breakfast or dinner away from home, he says. The study found they were 4.5 times more likely to be fat.
Someone who eats breakfast at home might settle for a small, convenient meal, Kava says. “”But if you go out, there’s all kinds of tempting things like bacon and eggs and hash browns. Maybe you tend to indulge a little bit more. You don’t have to do the work or clean up.”"
And what about the link between skipping breakfast and tipping the scales?
“”You have not broken the fast soon enough to only need a moderate amount of calories,”" says Gail Frank, a professor of nutrition at California State University at Long Beach and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “”You are starving. How does the normal person respond? They eat, and they keep eating to compensate.”"
As for the study’s rebuttal of the time-honored belief in the fattening properties of late-night meals, Ma says more research is needed to confirm that finding.
But it makes sense, Frank says, and counteracts the “”myth”" about the hazards of midnight munching.
The body continues digesting through the night, she says, even when people are asleep and not active. “”The body doesn’t know when the lights go off,”" she says.
SOURCES: Yunsheng Ma, Ph.D., assistant professor, epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester; Ruth Kava, Ph.D, R.D. director, nutrition, American Council on Science and Health, New York City; Gail Frank, DrPH, R.D., professor, nutrition, California State University at Long Beach, and spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association; July 1, 2003, American Journal of Epidemiology
Learn About Grains
Grains By Jennifer A. Wickes
The proper term, in reference to grains, is cereal grains. The word “”cereal”" comes from Ceres, a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture. Cereal includes any plant from the grass family that produces an edible seed.
Cereals are inexpensive, have an available source of protein and the highest concentration of carbohydrates compared with any other food. Varieties Barley
Barley dates back to the Stone Ages. It is used in recipes such as bread, cereal, and soups. Most barley in the western world is now used for two reasons, for making beer and whiskey, and for animal fodder. Bulgur Wheat
Originating from the Middle East, this is wheat kernels which have been steamed, dried and crushed. Couscous
A staple in North Africa. Couscous is derived from semolina. Can be cooked and added to milk to make a porridge, fruits and honey can be added to make a dessert or you can mix a dressing into it and eat it like a salad. Kasha
This is roasted buckwheat grains. Millet
Millet is a staple grain for over a 1/3 of the world’s population, particularly in Asia and Africa. The United States uses millet almost exclusively for fodder and birdseed. Millet is rich in protein with a bland flavor, so it takes well to be cooked with other foods and spices. You prepare millet like rice, in boiling water, to make into a hot cereal or some sort of pilaf. Ground millet is used in puddings, breads and cakes. You can find millet in natural food stores, as well as Asian markets. Oats
In the 1700s, England would feed oats to their horses, yet the Scottish used to eat oats every day! Polenta / Cornmeal
Dried corn kernels that have been ground to a powder. Quinoa
A staple to the Incas. Contains the most protein than any other grain. It also contains eight essential amino acids. Quinoa is also high in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates. You need to cook Quinoa like rice, and it has been compared in flavor to couscous. Can be found in natural food stores. Rice
Rice has been cultivated throughout Asia since at least 8000 BC. There are also over 7000 varieties. Rice contains iron, calcium and B- complex vitamins. Risotto
An Italian rice which is cooked as rice and can be served with a variety of meats and vegetables. Italian Arborio rice is usually used in the preparation of risotto. Rye
Rye contains less gluten that any other flour, therefore, all rye breads tend to be dense. There are a variety of different ryes, all of which are found at Natural Food Stores: medium, light, dark and pumpernickel. Sorghum
The third largest grain in the entire world, the US only use it as fodder. The only thing the US use sorghum for when speaking of human consumption, sorghum molasses, which is used to sweeten baked goods. Spelt
A cereal grain native to southern Europe, where it has been used for thousands of years. It has a nutty flavor, and can be used in lieu of wheat flour in recipes if a person is gluten intolerant. This grain can also be found in Natural Food Stores. Teff
A cereal grain native to Ethiopia, but is currently being harvested in Idaho. This grain has a nutty flavor, is high in protein, carbohydrates, calcium and iron. It can be found in Natural Food Stores. Triticale
Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye. It has more protein and less gluten than wheat. It comes in berries, flakes and flour. You can find this in Natural Food Stores. Triticale is usually used to make casseroles, hot cereals and pilafs. Due to the low gluten content, breads made from this grain make loaves to be very heavy, therefore using