05/06/96 Young Adults Most  Likely to Miss A.M. Meal, Study Shows

Young Adults Most  Likely to Miss A.M. Meal, Study Shows

Press Release

May 6, 1996

Media Contacts:
M. Johnna Thomas, Tom Ryan or Doris Acosta
E-mail: media@eatright.org
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YOUNG ADULTS MOST LIKELY TO MISS A.M. MEAL, STUDY SHOWS

CHICAGO--While the nutritional quality of food Americans consume at breakfast has improved, the number of individuals eating breakfast has declined. A study published this month in The Journal of The American Dietetic Association says adolescents and young adults under 30 are more likely to skip breakfast than are middle-aged or older adults.

The study examined data from three U.S. national surveys collected in 1965, 1977 and 1989 and found that breakfast consumption among US adults declined from 86 percent in 1965 to 75 percent in 1991. The largest observable decline occurred among adolescents and young adults.

"There is general agreement among scientists that breakfast can be an important contributor to diet quality and cognitive performance, particularly in children. This declining trend in breakfast consumption shows that the importance of breakfast has not been well communicated to the public," says Pamela Haines, Dr. P.H., R.D.(registered dietitian), an associate professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and co-author of the study.

The research findings from the study are reviewed in the latest issue of Perspectives in Applied Nutrition, a quarterly publication of The American Dietetic Association (ADA) and Mosby-Year Book, Inc.

The Perspectives in Applied Nutrition article, based on a presentation at the 1995 International Symposium on Breakfast and Performance in Napa Valley, Calif., also summarized other related studies that showed:

Children who skip breakfast are not as efficient in the selection of critical information for problem solving as their peers who have had breakfast. The ability to recall and use newly acquired information, verbal fluency and control of attention are principally affected.
Skipping breakfast adversely diminishes the mental performance of young adults and the elderly because glucose levels are associated with memory function. Brain function is sensitive to variations in the immediate availability of nutrient supply and energy.
School breakfast programs may actually increase daily school attendance and test performance.

These research findings echo messages of ADA's Child Nutrition and Health Campaign, a nationwide public information and research campaign on child nutrition issues.

"A nutritious early morning meal is the most important and easiest first step to ensure that kids get the nutrients they need to do their best at school and at play," says ADA President Ronni Chernoff, Ph.D., R.D., who is also editor-in-chief of Perspectives in Applied Nutrition.

The Child Nutrition and Health Campaign's activities are designed to bring greater awareness to the importance of breakfast, physical activity and adult role models to children's overall health and well-being.

The Journal of The American Dietetic Association is the most widely read and peer-reviewed periodical in the dietetics field. Published monthly, it brings original research, critical reviews and reports, authoritative information and expert commentary to nutrition and dietetics professionals throughout the world.

Perspectives in Applied Nutrition, published quarterly by Mosby-Year Book, Inc., in collaboration with The American Dietetic Association, provides abstracts of articles published in national and international nutrition, medicine and allied health journals.

Highlighted studies:

Haines, P., Guilkey, D., Popkin, B., Trends in breakfast consumption of US adults between 1965 and 1991, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, May 1996, Volume 96, Number 2, pages 1-7.

Mathews, R., Importance of Breakfast to Cognitive Performance and Health, Perspectives in Applied Nutrition, Volume 3, Number 3, 1996, pages 204-212.

The Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. With nearly 70,000 members, ADA serves the public by promoting nutrition, health and well-being.