NEW DELHI: If you think missing your morning meal can help you reduce your calories, you are mistaken. On the contrary, skipping breakfast raises your risk of developing type-2 diabetes by a third and those who are overweight are more susceptible, a latest research shows.

Those who miss their breakfast are on average 33% more likely to have type-2 diabetes. In fact, those who skip the morning meal at least four times a week are at 55% more risk of contracting the disease, according to the meta-analysis of data from around 1,00,000 people published in The Journal of Nutrition.

Experts say this is because skipping breakfast increases insulin resistance , putting stress on the metabolic system – which is the first step towards diabetes. Moreover, people who do not eat their morning meal are more likely to snack through the day.

“Skipping any meal repeatedly stresses the system by making the hormone insulin less active; and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It should be balanced with more of healthy proteins and less of carbohydrates and least of saturated fat e.g. butter. It is also likely that the person who misses breakfast is also under stress and pursues other unhealthy behaviours,” says Fortis C-Doc chairman Dr Anoop Misra.

The analysis shows at least 30% of people around the world miss their breakfast. In India, missing breakfast is considered more of an urban phenomenon prevalent among youngsters than those older, experts say. This is primarily because of work-related stress and the amount of time spent on travelling to work, which makes them either skip their breakfast or eat very little.

Doctors say eating a wholesome breakfast on the table is very important because a balanced diet taken at proper time keeps sugar levels intact. This helps in creating a healthy metabolism for a prolonged time.

The research shows those who are overweight are more likely to miss their morning meal, because they wrongly believe this will reduce their overall calorie intake. However, the findings shows such people are more likely to get diabetes because insulin resistance is already high in such people and skipping breakfast adds to the problem.

Diabetes is a growing challenge in India with an estimated 8.7% population in the age group of 20 and 70 years diabetic.

