As the saying goes: "The whole day's plan depends on the morning." Yet many people would rather spend time in bed or meticulously groom themselves than take 20 minutes to have a proper breakfast.
Skipping breakfast can lead to the "three highs"
A survey shows that 38.54% of people cannot eat breakfast every day, and 4.16% of them never do. A study by Imperial College London found that skipping breakfast causes the brain to release signals craving high-calorie food, significantly increasing the likelihood of consuming "junk food" at lunch and dinner. Over the long term, this can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and diabetes. Research from Harvard University also confirmed that this habit increases the risk of heart disease by 27%.
Ma Guansheng, Deputy Director of the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized that eating breakfast daily is a healthy lifestyle advocated by the World Health Organization. Lack of time, appetite, or the desire to control weight are not valid excuses. A dedicated time for breakfast should be set aside to cultivate the habit, and the example set by parents and mutual influence among family members are crucial.
Eating breakfast too fast increases cancer risk
In the survey, 60.42% of people finished their breakfast within 10 minutes, and 9.38% within 5 minutes. Regarding this, Ma Guansheng pointed out that the most direct consequence of wolfing down food is indigestion. Research from the Medical University of South Carolina in the U.S. indicates that chewing poorly increases the burden on the digestive system, greatly raising the chances of developing gastroesophageal reflux. Dr. Kōki Miyama, a neurologist from Japan, said that eating too quickly fails to stimulate brain activity, making people less sharp. A study from Osaka University in Japan also found that eating too fast doubles the risk of obesity. Moreover, many people eat hastily while their food is still very hot, and long-term consumption of overly hot food can potentially induce cancer. An increasing number of studies show a strong link between eating very hot food and various digestive tract diseases, including esophageal cancer.
Ma Guansheng recommends that breakfast should ideally be consumed between 6:30 AM and 8:30 AM, taking 15-20 minutes to eat at home to develop a healthy and regular routine. Fan Zhihong, an associate professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, suggests preparing semi-finished foods the night before. In the morning, while you are heating up food and making soup, you can wash up and tidy up, which will free up time for breakfast.
An unnutritious breakfast leads to poor performance
Breakfast is not just about eating, but eating well. However, the survey found that people in China generally do not pay enough attention to the nutritional balance of breakfast, and their meals tend to be monotonous. Ma Guansheng stated that a poor-quality breakfast leads to relatively low blood sugar levels, failing to provide the brain with sufficient energy in a timely manner. This can easily cause symptoms like palpitations, fatigue, and lack of concentration, significantly reducing work and study efficiency. Dr. James Balch from the Indiana University School of Medicine in the U.S. pointed out that a monotonous diet can lead to a deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals, and can even severely hinder blood circulation. Research from Virginia Commonwealth University in the U.S. shows that the more substantial the breakfast, the better the control of blood sugar and blood lipids, and the more significant the weight loss effect.
"The energy consumed at breakfast should account for 25% to 30% of the total daily energy," Fan Zhihong suggests. A high-quality breakfast should follow the "four haves and two nots" principle: have starchy staples; have dairy, eggs, or beans rich in protein; have fruits and vegetables; have one spoonful of nuts; do not have fried foods; and do not have grilled or smoked products.
Poor dining environment poses significant safety hazards
The survey found that 57.29% of people often eat breakfast out. Among them, 14.58% buy breakfast from roadside stalls and eat while walking, 17.71% eat in school or company cafeterias, and 25% buy breakfast and quickly eat it at school or the office. These practices present numerous safety hazards. Eating while walking provides an opportunity for "illness to enter through the mouth" and can also cause discomfort to the stomach, affecting its normal digestion and potentially leading to gastritis or even gastric ptosis. Eating on a bus is also unsafe; research has found that there are 380 bacterial colonies per 10 square centimeters on bus handrails, including harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. Eating on a moving vehicle can also lead to accidents like choking or biting the tongue if the bus suddenly accelerates or brakes. Many people also eat while working, shoveling in food haphazardly. A study from the University of Bristol in the U.K. points out that such unfocused eating can cause indigestion and increase the risk of obesity.
Breakfast bought from the street is hard to guarantee hygiene. An investigation by reporters revealed that the hygiene conditions of street breakfast stalls are a cause for concern. Many vendors handle money and prepare food at the same time, and their stalls are often set up on the roadside, constantly exposed to dust and vehicle exhaust. Wang Xingguo, Director of the Nutrition Department at Dalian Central Hospital, stated: "Fried dough sticks and cakes require a large amount of oil, and vendors might use gutter oil. Even with legitimate oil, harmful substances accumulate after repeated frying." Furthermore, Dong Jinshi, Secretary-General of the International Association for Food Packaging, pointed out that the plastic bags provided by most breakfast stalls are substandard. Placing hot food in them can cause heavy metals and chemicals to leach out, posing a cancer risk.
In addition to calling for strengthened supervision of the breakfast industry by relevant authorities, Ma Guansheng and Fan Zhihong jointly recommend that it is best to prepare and eat breakfast at home. If that is truly not possible, one must purchase breakfast from formal and reliable restaurants.