Research conducted at the College by Dr Tony Goldstone [Medicine] has identified that the brain craves calorie-rich foods later in the day if breakfast is skipped or missed. It adds a little credence to the widely-held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The BBC reported that by studying the brain scans of 21 subjects, once on a day where they had not had their morning meal and once on an occasion following a 730-calorie nosh up, there was, on average, a 20 per cent increase in the amount of food consumed at lunchtime. Additionally, their desire for high-calorie grub increased if they’d missed breakfast, while cravings for less fatty fare showed no change. It goes some way to explaining why dieting to lose weight is so difficult, as the appeal of high-calorie food increases if meals are missed.