The exact meaning and importance of breakfast lies in the word itself. By eating breakfast, we are actually breaking the fast or long gap after dinner, the previous night. By the time we wake up in the morning, all our energy is used up and hence we need new energy to go through our daily routine. Students who do not eat or skip breakfast on a regular basis are at a high risk of developing gastroenteritis and several other health problems. Not only that, students have to face a lot of challenges in school /college and an empty stomach may come in the way of their progress. It has been observed that people who do not have their breakfast before going to work, have problemslike headache, sleepiness, stomach pain, muscle fatigue. Indecisiveness, anger, anxiety, irritability, unhappiness, nervousness, lethargy, hostility, etc. are some other problems that can be seen in students who skip their breakfast. Such physical and psychological problems have the ability to hinder the learning process of students. Students who have the habit of eating breakfast have been reported to have better concentration during lessons than those who do not. Breakfast is also beneficial for the memory of the students as they are able to remember and retrieve already learned information quickly as well as accurately. Even their problem solving ability is enhanced by eating breakfast on a regular basis.
Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between eating breakfast and test scores. It is seen that students who have their breakfast regularly score better in their tests than those who avoid eating breakfast. As a healthy breakfast offers ¼ of the nutrition that the body requires, there are less chances that children will indulge in binge eating foods, like, fast foods which are not good for their health. Rather, they are likely to choose foods that are healthier as well as nutritious, later in the day.
Nearly fifty years of research shows that breakfast benefits children, teens and adults in many ways. Eating breakfast improves nutrition and health, provides energy, and boosts brain power. Eating breakfast has been significantly associated with better concentration and test scores, as well as improved weight. That’s true for adults and children. Students who eat breakfast make fewer trips to the Hospitals, have fewer absences, and have less discipline problems.
People should never go to their workplaces hungry. Hunger has been linked to irritability and fatigue. It’s hard to learn and interact in a social environment when you’re irritated and tired.
Prof. Vibha Chaturvedi
HOD, Social Science
Biyani Girls College
