Breakfast Eater's Manifesto- rough draft

Food is full of nutrients, giving the body energy for the entire day. Then why are so many individuals skipping breakfast? After observing fellow colleges, I notice many skip breakfast and head straight to class, occasionally grabbing something from their room to eat along the way. Mornings can be difficult, especially for a college student who goes to bed at two in the morning and wakes up less than six hours later for class. Some individuals consider breakfast the most important meal of the day. Whether it is for nutrients or energy supply breakfast must not be skipped. Due to a change in habits, children have become a strong focus in the debate whether breakfast is essential in the morning. This topic may be open to discussion, but research proves the benefits of eating certain foods in the morning.

Doctors and pediatricians strongly promote eating breakfast, but there is a shocking percentage of youth that go to school with their stomachs empty. A survey conducted by Mary Shaw in Australia shows the magnitude of not eating breakfast. In this survey around seven hundred thirteen-year-olds were observed in their daily eating habits. In total, 12% of those studied skipped breakfast: 18% of total females and 5.3% of total males surveyed. Additionally, the females were three times more likely to skip breakfast and lunch than males. The children gave various reasons for skipping: not having enough time in the morning, not hungry, unappealing choices, or not wanting to eat alone. For those who ate breakfast in the morning, they usually ate with a family member.

Shaw’s study also analyzed family income, ethnicity, married parents, and family income in relation to eating breakfast. The study found Caucasians having a lower percentage of meals skipped compared to other ethnicities. The status of parents—married or divorced—was not a significant factor while family income was: wealth was correlated with an increase of skipped breakfasts. This study shows just a few of the various elements that influence a child’s eating habits.

“Breakfast is touted as the most important meal of the day” (Albertson et. al 1) for its many benefits. Research shows that starting off with a well-balanced nutritional breakfast sets you ahead for the rest of the day. Children are extremely active, constantly running from school to sports. Higher rates of physical activity can be linked to breakfast as well as improved nutrition and a lower body mass index. With an overall higher quality of life, one is able to start their day off better by eating breakfast.

These benefits counteract the negative effects of not consuming food in the morning. Depleting the body of required nutrients results in decreased energy and performance of the body throughout the day. According to Shaw’s study, “skipping breakfast has deleterious effects upon various aspects of cognitive functioning” (Shaw 1). Those that skipped were inattentive, apathetic, and this negatively affected their performance at school in either reading or physical activity. Energy is not the only consequence of not eating in the morning. The girls who skipped breakfast were more concerned about their body image and had a greater chance of developing an eating disorder if not already done so. For both genders, only fifty percent were happy with their body image; the others wanted to either increase or decrease their weight (Shaw 3).

These negative effects continue onto adulthood unless certain habits are changed. A study done in 1976 by Belloc and Breslow shows the long-term effects of eating breakfast. This was linked to a longer life span than those that skipped breakfast. The mortality rate of men was .055 compared to 0.132 for not eating breakfast. The females did not show as much of a drastic change. Breakfast has effects over someone’s entire life. By starting this habit young, it is easier to continue eating breakfast throughout one’s lifetime.

            Breakfast positively increases one’s health, but certain foods consumed can counteract the benefits of eating breakfast. When running short on time for work or class I look for the simplest breakfast option; when at home this may be a piece of toast or dry cereal, but on the road it is typically consists of donuts, muffins, or pastries. While at home and have time to spare, I am able to open up the refrigerator and choose fruit, cereal with milk, or make myself an omelet. When out of town or running into the nearest coffee shop, the options are limited. It is easy to find healthy options at home, but on the go the simplest and cheapest options are to grab a muffin or pastry from Starbucks Coffee. While this option is delicious and is providing the body with some energy in the morning, it is overall not the right thing to eat. A blueberry muffin from Starbucks Coffee contains 370 calories (Starbucks.com) while a bowl of cheerios with milk contains around 150 calories. The muffin contains many unwanted calories and fills up the body with added sugars and fats. This will not provide sustained energy and thus one will have to go and eat another thing shortly after. As with the Starbucks example, there is an observed correlation between convenience and nutrition. Extra minutes in the morning can affect whether someone sits down to eat a bowl of cereal or grabs a muffin on the go: one option filling the individual up and the other option leaving the person wanting something else to eat.

            Research has been done by Albertson (et al.) on the different types of breakfast options people consume. Their research and study concentrates on the benefits of eating cereal over other options in the morning. It was found that cereal provides fiber, iron, and less fat, sugar, sodium, and cholesterol than other non-cereal options. When cereal was consumed in the morning, there was an increase in fiber and carbohydrate consumption with a decrease in fat consumption through the rest of the day. Throughout the day, energy levels were up with increased physical activity. Their research additionally shows that eating cereal correlates to a “consumption of other nutritious foods and displaces less healthful foods” (Albertson et al.).

When analyzing these studies results I am enticed to consume cereal in the morning everyday. Skipping breakfast has never been a problem for me; whether it is for school or sports, I will wake up the extra fifteen minutes and eat a well-balanced nutritional meal. I have never contemplated the different choices I choose to eat for breakfast; by allowing extra minutes in the morning to eat I am able to make a piece of toast or bowl of cereal than grab a muffin to take to school. Breakfast options I eat range from an omelet, bowl of cereal or fruit, wheat toast, or French toast. After analyzing these studies’ results I am enticed to consume cereal in the morning everyday. When observing their statistics, there is a significant difference among calories, fats, sugars, and nutrients consumed between cereal and non-cereal breakfasts. There is still the possibility of cereals being more unhealthy than having an omelet and toast. Growing up, sugary cereals were prohibited from my household. I grew up eating cheerios and cereals classified as being healthier. Whenever I have cereal, I have it with skim milk, supplying a large amount of calcium for the day.  

This research prompts me to analyze the food choices I make following breakfast for snacks, lunch, and dinner. Albertson’s (et al.) study states that eating cereal is correlated with “increased consumption of fiber and carbohydrates and decreased consumption of fats across all times of day” (Albertson et al.). I am urged to make my self a bowl of cereal everyday; by starting with cereal in the morning, I am more likely to consume healthier options throughout the entire day. Many times when the dining halls present unappealing food I opt for a bowl of cereal. This is usually not the heart healthy cheerios, but gives me the nutrients to finish the day.  

After analyzing both studies (Shaw and Albertson et al.), it is clearly evident that children who consume breakfast in the morning, specifically cereal, will be better off for the rest of the day. Children have been a strong focus because of recent studies on their behavior, but breakfast is important for all individuals. Implementing a breakfast routine when young will encourage children to consume food in the morning when they grow older. 

I grew up sitting at the dining table every morning having breakfast whether it included a bowl of cheerios, a grapefruit, an omelet, or a piece of toast with Skippy crunchy peanut butter. I never stopped this routine when I grew older: While it was habit, the rest of my family ate in the morning and this was time to spend together as a family when we were busy through the rest of the day.

While observing my friends in college I notice many going straight to class, skipping breakfast, and not eating anything till lunch. Getting up an extra fifteen minutes before class is worth the gained nutrients and energy to start the day. Many breakfast items can contain high amounts of fats and sugars, but chosen correctly, they can be very beneficial. A well-balanced nutritional meal in the morning may not always be available, but something is always better than nothing. Shaw and Albertson (et al.) have studied the benefits of breakfast and the consequences that can result after skipping this meal. According to Shaw’s study, a significant number of youth are skipping breakfast. Encouraging children at a young age is the only way to continue the beneficial habit of eating breakfast in the morning.  While it may be inconvenient, too expensive on the road, or one is not hungry, breakfast plays such an important role in one’s day and should not be skipped.