The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults

Background: The causal nature of associations between breakfast and health remain unclear in obese individuals.
Objective: To conduct a randomized controlled trial examining causal links between breakfast habits and components of energy balance in free-living obese humans.
Design: The Bath Breakfast Project is a randomized controlled trial with repeated-measures at baseline and follow-up amongst a cohort in South-West England aged 21-60 y with Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA)-derived fat mass indices ≥13 kg·m-2 (women; n=15) and ≥9 kg·m-2 (men; n=8). Components of energy balance (resting metabolic rate, physical activity thermogenesis, DIT, energy intake) were measured under free-living conditions with random allocation to daily breakfast (≥700 kcal before 1100 h) or extended fasting (0 kcal until 1200 h) for 6 weeks, with baseline and follow-up measures of health markers (e.g. hematology/adipose biopsies).
Results: Breakfast resulted in greater physical activity thermogenesis during the morning than when fasting during that period (difference:188 kcal·d-1; 95%CI=40, 335) but without any consistent effect on 24-h physical activity thermogenesis (difference:272 kcal·d-1; 95%CI= -254, 798). Energy intake was not significantly greater with breakfast than fasting (difference:338 kcal·d-1; 95%CI=-313, 988). Body mass increased across both groups over time but with no treatment effects on body composition nor any change in RMR (stable within 8 kcal·d-1). Metabolic/cardiovascular health also did not respond to treatments, except for a reduced insulinemic response to OGTT over time with daily breakfast relative to an increase with daily fasting (p=0.05).
Conclusions: In obese adults, daily breakfast causes greater physical activity during the morning, whereas morning fasting results in partial dietary compensation (i.e. greater energy intake) later in the day. There were no differences between groups in weight change and most health outcomes but insulin sensitivity was increased with breakfast relative to fasting.

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Cite this dataset as:
Chowdhury, E., Betts, J., 2016. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults. Bath: University of Bath Research Data Archive. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15125/BATH-00169.

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Creators

Enhad Chowdhury
University of Bath

James Betts
University of Bath

Contributors

Dylan Thompson
Researcher

Richardson Judith
Researcher

University of Bath
Rights Holder

Coverage

Collection date(s):

From 28 August 2010 to 24 May 2013

Funders

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000268

Extended Daily Fasting (Omission of Breakfast) & the Regulation of Energy Balance
BB/H008322/1

Publication details

Publication date: 2016
by: University of Bath

Version: 1

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There is a more recent version of this item available.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15125/BATH-00169

URL for this record: https://researchdata.bath.ac.uk/id/eprint/169

Related papers and books

Chowdhury, E. A., Richardson, J. D., Holman, G. D., Tsintzas, K., Thompson, D., and Betts, J. A., 2016. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(3), 747-756. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.122044.

Related datasets and code

Chowdhury, E., and Betts, J., 2016. The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults. Bath: University of Bath Research Data Archive. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15125/BATH-00176.

Contact information

Please contact the Research Data Service in the first instance for all matters concerning this item.

Contact person: Enhad Chowdhury

Departments:

Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Health