It is said that the best way to live is to breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, and now scientists have proven the historical maxim correct.

A study of 50,000 people found that those who made breakfast their largest meal of the day has a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than people who waited until supper, even when they ate a similar number of calories.

For the average man in Britain, weighing 13.16 stone, the difference could shave six pounds from weight without having to exercise more or eat less. For some people it would also be enough to shift their BMI from unhealthy to healthy.

Researchers from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California also found that extending the time between the final food of the day and breakfast was also associated with lower BMIs.