USA: A recent study in the journal Obesity has revealed that eating breakfast is tied to a greater weight loss during an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) for obese/overweight people. This was mediated by increased physical activity.
Observational studies have shown breakfast skipping to be associated with obesity and related cardiometabolic outcomes, however, the association between breakfast eating and weight loss is not well-established. Considering this, Daisy Duan, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and colleagues aimed to determine breakfast consumption frequency (BCF) is associated with weight-loss outcomes in the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes), a randomized trial comparing intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) to diabetes support and education (DSE) in adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The researchers analyzed data from a subset of participants (n = 3,915) from the Look AHEAD trial. BCF collection was done through a yearly questionnaire. The association between n average BCF and percentage weight change over 4 years was estimated using multivariable linear regression models. This was done after controlling for baseline sociodemographic, anthropometric, and diabetes-related variables. In separate models, the researchers performed adjustments for diet (n = 915) and physical activity level (n = 837) in a subset of participants.
Based on the study, the researchers found the following:
Four-year average BCF was similar in DSE (n = 1,916) and ILI (n = 1,999) arms.
Each 1-day higher average BCF was associated with an additional 0.5% weight loss in the ILI arm but not in the DSE arm.
This association in the ILI arm remained significant after adjustment for diet but not after adjustment for physical activity.
"Our results showed that breakfast consumption is associated with greater weight loss in the active treatment group of an ILI, which may be mediated by increased physical activity," the authors concluded.
Reference:
The study titled, "Eating breakfast is associated with weight loss during an intensive lifestyle intervention for overweight/obesity," was published in the journal Obesity.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23340