Eating Breakfast Helps Keep Teens Slim

Eating breakfast helps keep teens slim and active, says a new study. Scientists tracked 2,216 teens over 5 years and found body-mass index lower in kids who consistently ate a morning meal, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "Although adolescents may think that skipping breakfast seems like a good way to save on calories, findings suggest the opposite," said the study's principle investigator.

"Eating a healthy breakfast may help adolescents avoid overeating later in the day and disrupt unhealthy eating patterns," she speculated. The study, published in Pediatrics,  concludes that more research is necessary but suggests that stressing the importance of a healthy breakfast could help fight the obesity epidemic. Schools could help by offering breakfasts to students when they show up for the day. (More obesity stories.)