Could eating a king’s breakfast be the key to beating obesity?

SCOTTISH scientists are to carry out trials to discover whether eating more in the morning holds the key to losing weight.

The old adage ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper’ is thought by some to be the key to keeping slim.

The study hopes to shed light on whether there is an optimum time to eat in order to manage weight.

In the trials – which will take place at the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute – one group of participants will be given almost half of their daily calorie intake in the morning, while the other half will receive almost half of their daily calories in the evening. Both groups’ meals will have the same composition of protein, fat and carbohydrates. They will follow the eating plans for four weeks, with a one-week break in between.

Lead researcher Dr Alexandra Johnstone said: ‘We are interested in how meal size affects energy metabolism related to digestion and absorption at different times of the day.

‘Recent studies suggest calories are used more efficiently when consumed in the morning as opposed to the evening, and this could be used to develop new strategies for tackling weight loss.’

Previous research has shown that ‘evening eaters’ are more likely to gain weight and less able to lose it, but no studies on overweight and obese people comparing the impact of breakfast versus evening meal have yet been conducted in the UK.

The study aims to assess this gap in the evidence, and is being carried out in conjunction with Surrey University, with funding of nearly £800,000 from the Medical Research Council.

Other studies have found eating breakfast is linked to a lower risk of obesity.