Breakfast Cereals Prevent Overweight in Children

Breakfast Cereals

According to recent studies, breakfast regularly with cereal every day are apparently connected with a healthy weight for children. But in fact 1 in 4 children in America are still living in the rules that breakfast should not be done.

"Cereal is option for breakfast very good, simple, and has the essential nutrients needed by children, especially low-income children, who tend to have health problems," said study leader Dr. Lana Frantzen, who worked at the Dairy MAX, a council milk company regional in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Previous studies have linked breakfast with keeping the body mass index (BMI) is low from time to time. The new study looked at the role that breakfast, especially with cereals, has a role in weight and nutrition within the scope of the children.

Frantzen and her co-authors interviewing 625 school-age children on an ongoing basis starting from a class 4 to class 6 in San Antonio. Once in a year they ask the children to remember what they had eaten during the previous 3 days and calculate their BMI, a measure which relates weight and height. When they are still class 4, 64%, said they breakfast every day, whereas only 42% are breakfast every day when they have gone up class 6.

Data from 3 days / year during 3 years, a total of 9 days, researchers found that children who ate breakfast cereal during 4 days from 9 days tend were in the percentile to 95 BMI, which is regarded as overweight. Whereas children who consume cereal as a breakfast menu during 9 full days, results of measurement were in the percentile to 65th BMI, which is considered normal weight.

32% of students in class 4 no breakfast at all, 25% breakfast with menu else other than cereals, and about 43% with breakfast cereal. Cereal is the most common breakfast menu. Children who breakfast however not with cereals reported usually have a other breakfast menu such as fried eggs, bread, etc.

Frantzen research team reported in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics, only 70% which has a menu of cereal 3 days once, but in every they consume cereal, their nutrient intake is higher than other children. Children who consume cereals get vitamin D, B3, B12, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium adn more much compared with eating a little cereal or even that is not at all.

"Cereals fortified with various vitamins and minerals, and combined with milk would be a source of calcium, potassium, and vitamin D are very good," said Frantzen.

"I think this is a very good knowledge advancement, overall about the importance of breakfast," said Dr. Matthew Haemer, Director of Nutrition and Fitness at Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora.

The study results show there is relationship between cereals and BMI, however, is still not known how the process it. Haemer recommends parents to choose the cereal as a breakfast menu fast, easy, and high in fiber, and low in fat.