Most people consider three meals a day to be normal, although some people eat five or six smaller meals instead. However, people sometimes skip one of their regular meals because they are busy and don't want to take the time, they don't have the money to buy enough food or they want to lose weight. In most cases, this is an unhealthy practice.
Risks
Breakfast is one of the more commonly skipped meals, although many nutritionists say it's the most important one. Breakfast provides the fuel your body needs after a night without eating. Skipping breakfast can make it harder for you to concentrate, put you in a bad mood and affect your ability to think quickly and solve problems. You are also likely to be hungry and make up for those missed calories later on, perhaps eating even more than you would have if you had eaten breakfast. Skipping meals in general makes it harder for you to meet your recommended daily intake of essential nutrients. This practice may also put you more at risk for diabetes, according to a study published in the journal, "Metabolism," in 2007.
Possible Benefits
You may get some health benefits if you can avoid consuming more calories later in the day after skipping a meal. Eating normally one day and then eating only one small meal consisting of about 500 calories the next day, and continuing with this pattern, may help you to lose weight, lower cholesterol and decrease asthma symptoms, according to a study published in "Free Radical Biology and Medicine" in 2007.
Considerations
Meal skipping among children is relatively common, with some skipping both breakfast and dinner and others missing one or the other of these meals. Although children make up for some of the missed calories by snacking, skipping meals among children is of particular concern because they are growing and need to obtain the necessary nutrients for growth and development. Not getting enough to eat also impacts their school performance and the ability to learn.
Recommendations
Planning ahead can make it easier to avoid skipping meals and keep yourself healthy. Have healthy portable foods on hand that you can take with you to eat if you don't have time to eat breakfast before you leave the house. If your children skip meals and snack more often to make up for this, make sure that they are snacking on nutritious foods rather than unhealthy foods.
References
- "The New York Times"; The Risks and Rewards of Skipping Meals; Tara Parker-Pope; Dec. 26, 2007
- "Nutrition Research and Practice"; Meal Skipping Children in Low-Income Families and Community Practice Implications; Hwa-ok Bae, et al.; 2008
- MedlinePlus; Many Kids Skipping Meals, Snacking Instead; Robert Preidt; November 2010
- Health Services at Columbia University's Go Ask Alice!: Importance of Eating Breakfast
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