Fight the flab with the big breakfast diet

Want to lose weight? Then feast on a great big breakfast.

That's the conclusion of research by doctors from Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, who during a five-year period studied the eating habits of over 6,500 people living in Norfolk aged between 40 and 75.

They found that even though they consumed the most food through the course of an average day, those who ate the biggest breakfast put on the least amount of weight.

In an article - published in the American Journal of Epidemiology - the scientists hypothesise that consuming a higher proportion of total daily calories at breakfast meant that fewer calories are consumed later in the day. If you skip breakfast, the body is starved of nutrients and prompts it to store more of lunches and dinners as fat.

The researchers conclude: "In our study, all participants gained weight over the follow-up period, on average; however, our data indicate that consuming a higher proportion of total daily calories at breakfast is associated with relatively lower weight gain in middle age."

David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, said: "If you start off eating something slow burning such as porridge or fruit, that is good because it will keep you ticking over until lunchtime, meaning you will not need to snack in the morning and you won't have the sugar or insulin surges that can lead to weight gain."

But he warns that you won't lose weight if your breakfast consists of black pudding and fried bacon.

Read Whole-grain cereals - the case for 'oat cuisine'.

Watch the NewYou video Carbohydrates - why filling up on 'hearty' meals is good.