By Stephen Beech via SWNS
Children who skip breakfast are less happy in life, suggests new research.
Youngsters aged 10 to 17 years of age who often miss a morning meal have lower life satisfaction than those who regularly eat brekkie, according to the findings.
The research, led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Universidad de las Americas in Mexico, analyzed data from more than 150,000 children in 42 countries around the world, including the UK.
The findings, published in the BMC Nutrition Journal, show a near-direct relationship between a higher frequency of eating breakfast and greater life satisfaction in children and teenagers.
The highest life satisfaction score was identified in participants who had breakfast daily, while the lowest life satisfaction score was observed in children who never had breakfast.
Children in Portugal who ate breakfast every day had the highest levels of life satisfaction of the 42 countries involved in the study.
The lowest life satisfaction scores were found in children from Romania who never ate breakfast, which the research team says indicates potential socio-economic factors also influencing the results.
Amongst children who ate breakfast every day, children in England had the fifth lowest mean life satisfaction scores, behind only Romania, Hungary, Germany and Austria.
Study senior author Professor Lee Smith, of ARU, said: “Our study was wide-ranging and found a consistent association between frequency of breakfast and life satisfaction, and there are several potential reasons for this.
“There have been previous studies that show low mood among adolescents who have not eaten breakfast and also higher instances of anxiety, stress and depression.
“Moreover, consuming an adequate breakfast provides the necessary energy and nutrients for optimal cognitive functioning and enhances concentration, memory, and learning ability.
“Another reason could be the mix of vitamins and minerals that we get from our daily breakfast, and not regularly getting those may result in lower life satisfaction over time.
“A regular routine that includes breakfast can also bring structure and a positive tone to the rest of the day.”
Smith added: “Results did show some inconsistencies between countries, which might be influenced by diverse cultures and lifestyles and socio-economic factors.
“However despite this, our results show that in all the countries examined, reported life satisfaction is overall higher in those who eat breakfast daily than in those who never eat breakfast.”
