Early morning feasts really could be the secret to beating middle aged spread.

Doctors from Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge conducted a five-year study into the eating habits of 6,764 men and women living in Norfolk aged between 40 and 75. They found those who ate the biggest breakfast put on the least amount of weight even though they consumed the most food through the course of an average day.

 

Although the researchers say there could be unknown factors which explain the findings, they suspect it is more to do with the way the body metabolises calories. If the body is starved of food for long periods, as is the case if breakfast is skipped in the mornings, then it begins to store more fat during the day, resulting in weight gain. Therefore starting the day with a healthy breakfast is a good way to tackle weight gain. The keyword here is healthy. If you start off eating something slow burning such as porridge or egg on toast, this will avoid the sugar or insulin surges that can led to food cravings and weight gain. But breakfasts won’t help you lose weight if they’re full of sugar or saturated fats like bacon and sausages.

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