Skipping breakfast is not inherently harmful, according to Dr. Sudhir. However, chaotic eating patterns and lack of sleep can negatively impact metabolic health.
Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day, and for good reasons. Your morning meal is the first meal you eat after an all-night fast of at least 12 hours, and what you eat in the first meal of the day — protein, carbohydrates or fiber — often determines whether you’ll feel energized or lethargic.
So, is it okay to skip this important meal? Some say that skipping breakfast may damage your metabolic health, while others think it’s okay. According to Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, the difference lies in context. Read also | When Katy Perry revealed her secret to staying fit and losing 9kg: 3-5 small meals a day, eating eggs daily, exercising…
In a February 20 post shared on X, in response to another doctor’s post, he said: “Skipping breakfast doesn’t mess with your metabolism. It’s irregular eating patterns and lack of sleep that do this, the neurologist explained, “A little clarification on the ‘skipping breakfast’ debate: I agree that simply skipping breakfast does not automatically ‘mess up’ your metabolism.”
He added: “Metabolic health is much more influenced by overall calorie balance, quality of diet, physical activity, sleep, and circadian rhythm than by just one meal. However, context is important.”
When is skipping breakfast dangerous and when is it not?
According to Dr. Sudhir, there is an important difference between structured intermittent fasting and unintentionally skipping breakfast, and therein lies the silver lining that makes it risky or safe. He explains the difference between the two:
- Regulated intermittent fasting: It involves time-restricted eating, planned calorie intake, adequate protein, and good sleep.
- Accidentally skipping breakfast: This scenario is caused by a rushed morning, poor planning, sleeping late at night, or stress.
In the first scenario, skipping breakfast may be metabolically neutral or even beneficial in specific individuals, he explains. However, in the second scenario, this often leads to: “junk mid-morning snacking, overeating later in the day, high dependence on sugar/caffeine, irregular meal timing, and poor sleep cycle.”“
“Skipping breakfast is not inherently harmful…”
According to him, this aforementioned pattern, and not skipping breakfast in itself, can negatively affect metabolic health. Furthermore, skipping breakfast may harm some groups, and a balanced morning meal may particularly benefit them:
- Teenagers
- Individuals with diabetes are susceptible to hypoglycemia
- Those who have high requirements for physical activity
- People with irregular sleep schedules
Finally, he stated that a more accurate message regarding skipping breakfast would be: “Skipping breakfast is not inherently harmful. But chaotic, disorganized eating patterns, combined with lack of sleep, can impair metabolic health.”
He adds: “As with most things in medicine, the answer is not binary. It is about pattern, context and sustainability. Nutritional advice works best when it is individualized rather than absolute.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified these claims and does not endorse them.
Krishna Priya Pallavi is Associate Editor of Hindustan Times with nearly 9 years of experience in lifestyle reporting. Over the years, Pallavi has reported extensively on health, fashion, pop culture, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, culture, fitness, sex and relationships. She is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC Dhenkanal) and also holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Before joining Hindustan Times, she spent nearly three years with India Today and a year and a half with ScoopWhoop’s feminist digital platform, Vagabomb. Pallavi enjoys tracking global fashion trends, interviewing celebrities, following global fashion seasons, and keeping up with popular culture – interests that often turn into engaging articles. In addition, she is keen on reading poignant health stories. She regularly collaborates with clinicians, designers, and content creators to craft narratives with depth and perspective. Born and brought up in Haryana, her heart remains deeply connected to her ancestral home in Odisha. She has a knack for finding interesting angles where they don’t seem to exist. When she’s not chasing stories, she spends her free time enjoying playing with her dog, planning her next vacation, or discovering new destinations.Read more
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