Kids Who Skip Breakfast Risk Diabetes

Health experts have claimed for long that breakfast is the star meal of the day yet somehow most of us manage to skip it every once in a while. It is a well-known fact that eating a healthy morning meal is great for all, especially for children and adolescents. There is ample evidence to show that kids who start their day the right way are more attentive and have better concentration and endurance levels. This latest study gives you another reason to make sure that your kids do not skip breakfast. (More: 10 Best Healthy Breakfast Recipes)According to researchers, kids who eat regular breakfast may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine and conducted by scientists in Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow and St George's Universities in England. Previous studies have shown that skipping breakfast may lead to untimely and unhealthy cravings throughout the day. This leads to unnecessary weight gain and obesity is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes. (More: Eat Breakfast to Lose Weight) Lead researcher Angela Donin from the St. George's University of London in Britain says,  "There is evidence that if you skip breakfast you are more likely to be overweight. This could be explained by your eating patterns for the rest of the day. If you have not eaten breakfast you are more likely to snack - and those snacks are more likely to be energy-heavy."For the latest study, experts examined 4,116 primary school children aged between 9-10 years in Britain. The children responded to questions like how often and what they ate for breakfast. Later, various diabetes risk markers such as fasting insulin, glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured through blood tests."The observations suggest that regular breakfast consumption, particularly involving consumption of a high fibre cereal, could protect against the early development of type 2 diabetes risk," added Dr Donin. It was also found that 26 percent of children who skipped breakfast every day were at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. These children has slightly higher blood sugar levels than those who ate breakfast regularly. Moreover, those who skipped breakfast regularly were more likely to be insulin resistant. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body stops responding to insulin or produces less of it. This leads to a high blood sugar level in the body which is not being is used to produce energy. Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic disease which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

With inputs from IANS