Research paper
Betts JA, Chowdhury EA, Mayank G, Thompson D. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a systematic review. Proc Nutr Soc. 2016;75(OCE3). (Bath Breakfast Project summary)
Underlying RCTs:
– Betts JA et al. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in lean adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Aug;100(2):539-47. PMID: 24898233.
– Chowdhury EA et al. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Mar;103(3):747-56. PMID: 26864365.
Why we cite it
Two companion RCTs (the Bath Breakfast Project) that comprehensively measured all components of energy balance — physical activity, resting metabolism, diet-induced thermogenesis, energy intake, and body composition — comparing daily breakfast (>=700 kcal before 11:00) with extended morning fasting (water only until 12:00) in both lean and obese free-living adults over 6 weeks. Relevant to this project because the studies show that breakfast’s effects are more nuanced than “eat breakfast to lose weight” — breakfast increases both physical activity and total energy intake, with the net effect on weight being essentially zero, while the real differences appear in metabolic health markers like insulin sensitivity and glycaemic stability.
Known defects on this page:
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