Scientists from Great Britain’s Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Mexico’s Universidad de las Américas found that skipping breakfast can lead to lower life satisfaction in children and adolescents aged 10-17. The results of the study were published in the BMC Nutrition journal.
More than 150,000 children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 from 42 different countries participated in the research. The researchers asked the subjects about their eating habits and to rate their level of well-being. It was found that the habit of eating breakfast regularly is correlated with the level of life satisfaction; children who ate breakfast daily were more likely to report living happy and fulfilled lives.
Levels of life satisfaction varied across countries. For example, children in Portugal who ate breakfast every day showed the highest levels of life satisfaction, while those in Romania who skipped their first meal had the lowest scores.
Scientists have also found that even among those who eat breakfast regularly, there are differences in the level of well-being. Children and teenagers in England were more likely than others to describe themselves as unhappy, second only to volunteers from Romania, Hungary, Germany, and Austria.
Scientists have noted that a regular breakfast not only provides the body with the necessary energy and nutrients but also helps improve cognitive function, learning skills, and concentration.
