(PCM) What can reduce your risk of obesity by a whopping 450 percent?! Breakfast!
Believe it or not, simply eating breakfast can have a major effect on your waistline and your risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Skip it, and you could be looking at a 450 percent increased risk of obesity, according to University of Massachusetts researchers. But a new study suggests that while consuming a 1,000-calorie breakfast full of bacon, pancakes, and donuts won’t exactly give you that svelte body you’re looking for, what you eat for breakfast might not be as important as thought.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health followed more than 5,000 men and women for about 18 years. None of the participants had type 2 diabetes when they entered the study. Seven years in, they answered questionnaires that included a question asking how many times a week they ate breakfast. They were followed for an average of 18 years.
The results? People who ate breakfast daily fared best. Compared to people who ate breakfast three or fewer times per week, they were:
34% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
43% less likely to become obese
40% less likely to develop fat around the tummy (abdominal obesity)
People who ate breakfast at least four to six times per week also did well. Compared to people who ate breakfast no more than three times per week, they were:
24% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
25% less likely to become obese
“The findings [held true] regardless of what they ate for breakfast,” research authors tell WebMD. However, what you eat DOES impact your risk, they stress. Start your day off right with a healthy breakfast full of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy or protein.
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