Does Skipping Breakfast Cause Me to Binge Eat?
I think I may have binge eating disorder, and I'm trying my best to stop it. I'm a swimmer, and I exercise a lot. I find that I'm not hungry at all in the morning, so I skip breakfast. Many people say that it's not good, for weight and health reasons, but is it?
– Dani
The people who say it's not good to skip breakfast are right. Studies show that people who miss breakfast eat more calories during the day and have higher body mass indexes. Skipping breakfast could affect your health in other ways, too. You may not have as much energy for swimming and you could find yourself feeling tired and unable to concentrate in class.
Even if you're not hungry, it's a good idea to eat something in the morning to kickstart your metabolism and prevent you from feeling compelled to overeat later on. Breakfast doesn't have to be a huge meal — a cup of plain yogurt and a piece of fruit is a great way to start the day. If you can't eat first thing, grab a bag of dry cereal or piece of fruit to eat on the bus or sometime before classes start.
Everyone overeats occasionally. And people may sometimes go overboard and feel like they are eating uncontrollably. But binge eating disorder is a mental health condition. If you worry that you have a problem with binge eating, talk to a parent, doctor, school nurse, counselor, or therapist.
Signs of binge eating disorder include eating uncontrollably for more than 6 months, gaining a lot of weight, and eating in secret or hiding food. Because binge eating disorder is complicated and can be tied to other problems (like depression), experts treat different people in different ways.
For more information, read these articles:
Binge Eating Disorder
Healthy Breakfast Planner
5 Ways to Reach a Healthy Weight
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2008