Scientist are beginning to understand the mechanism which drives people who do not eat breakfast to overcompensate later in the day, which may lead to a weight gain.
A team from Imperial College London studied 20 non-obese people who were asked to skip breakfast before they underwent a functional MRI exam, according to WebMD.com.
The researchers found that the reward centers in the subjects brains lit up more vividly, or became more active, when they were shown photos of a high-calorie food, such as pizza, cake, and chocolate food, as opposed to a low-calorie choice.
However, when the participants ate breakfast and had the same test, the brains reward center did not show greater activity when shown the high-calorie photos, the source says.
“Our results support the advice for eating a healthy breakfast as part of the dietary prevention and treatment of obesity,” says Dr. Tony Goldstone, a consultant endocrinologist with the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London, quoted by the website.
“When people skip meals, especially breakfast, changes in brain activity in response to food may hinder weight loss and even promote weight gain,” he adds.
Those who are trying to lose weight may also consider the alkaline diet. It is based on the consumption of citrus fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and legumes and may boost bone health into old age. 