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Sorry, There's Nothing Magical About Breakfast (nytimes.com)

Posted by msmash on from the big-deal-with-breakfast dept.

Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Plenty of people certainly believe that, but according to a new report, that notion is based on "misinterpreted research and biased studies." The New York Times has run a piece authored by Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, who looked into numerous studies -- and found flaws in them -- to conclude that breakfast isn't as important after all. (Could be paywalled; alternate source) He writes: The [reports] improperly used causal language to describe their results. They misleadingly cited others' results. And they also improperly used causal language in citing others' results. People believe, and want you to believe, that skipping breakfast is bad. Carroll also points out a conflict in many of such studies: most of them have been funded by the food industry. He concludes: The bottom line is that the evidence for the importance of breakfast is something of a mess. If you're hungry, eat it. But don't feel bad if you'd rather skip it, and don't listen to those who lecture you. Breakfast has no mystical powers.

3 of 300 comments (clear)

  1. Re:In other news... by cayenne8 · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I typically don't have breakfast until 2.5 hours after I wake at 4:30AM and ride the express bus for 25 miles to work, getting my large skinny vanilla latte and breakfast sandwich at the cafeteria. Better to have breakfast after I'm done traveling in the morning. No risk of getting motion sickness and hurling on someone.

    WoW!!

    So, you spend pretty much 5 hours (2.5 hours each way) a day just traveling back and forth to work?!?!?

    I'd shoot myself in the head if I had to do that...wow.

    Why do you not work closer to where you live, or live closer to where you work?

    I'm not knocking it if that's what you like, I just can't imagine having to drive for more than 15 - 30 min to work each day. That's a LOT of life you're giving up there man.....

    To get up that early...what time do you crash at? 8pm?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  2. Re:In other news... by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    In addition to his explanation that it's only about 50-60 minutes, "express" in this case likely refers to the number of stops it makes, not how fast it goes. A non-express bus likely hits every stop, whereas the express one may skip several, or just go straight from starting point A to end point B.

  3. Re: In other news... by bazorg · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    "You didn't really answer his point as you dont say what you do between 4:30 and 5:45."

    Yo momma!