It’s easier to shed pounds if you breakfast like a king

 It is said that the best way to live is to breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, and now scientists have proven the historical maxim correct.

A study of 50,000 people, published in the Journal of Nutrition, found those who made breakfast their largest meal had a lower Body Mass Index than people who ate the largest meal for supper, even when they ate a similar number of calories.

For the average man in Britain, weighing 13.16 stone, the difference could shave six pounds from his weight without him having to exercise more or eat less.

Dr Hana Kahleova, of the Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California, lead author of the study, said: “Regular breakfast consumption seems to increase satiety, reduce total energy intake, improve overall dietary quality, reduce blood lipid and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance… eating meals in the evening generally has the opposite effects.”