There is a pretty significant inverse association between how frequently kids report eating breakfast and how much weight they gain over time.

It is interesting to note that the kids who eat breakfast on a daily basis overall have a much better diet and are more physically active.

When breakfasts are skipped, especially in the teenage years, kids tend to snack and graze.

More than one-third of teens aged 12 to 19 are now overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. 

And over the past two decades, the proportion of children who are overweight has doubled; among teens, the proportion has tripled, according to background information with the study. 

An estimated 12 percent to 34 percent of children and adolescents skip breakfast on a regular basis, a number that increases with age.

Previous studies have linked breakfast skipping with a greater tendency to gain weight.

The more often a person ate breakfast, the less likely he or she was to be overweight or obese. 

What happens is that total fat and saturated fat as a percentage of total daily energy were lower in the breakfast eaters compared with breakfast skippers.

We have the potential to improve energy balance and weight control with healthy breakfast consumption.