What you don't eat can make you fat

Men's Fitness, June, 2003 by Dean Brierly, Mike Carlson, Allan Donnelly, Ben Kallen, Susie Kim, Bobby Lee, Dennis Nishi, Jim Shiebler, Mark Thorpe, Tom Weede

Your protectors here at MEN'S FITNESS have been telling you for years that if you want to stay healthy and trim excess body fat, you should eat breakfast every day. Here's more proof: In a study at Harvard Medical School that followed 2,681 young adults over eight years, participants who ate breakfast each morning were 35% to 50% less likely to become obese than non-breakfast eaters. They were also less likely to develop insulin-resistance syndrome, a precursor of diabetes. The best breakfasts were those that included whole grains or bran instead of refined flour (kiss that Krispy Kreme goodbye). If you're too pooped at daybreak to carefully decide what to eat, try some of our own healthful, tasty morning meals:

MEAL OPTION 1

* 1 cup cooked oatmeal with cinnamon and oz. walnut pieces

* 1 cup low-sugar yogurt

* 1/2 cup blueberries or grapes

MEAL OPTION 2

* 1 cup whole-grain cereal with fat-free milk and sliced strawberries

* 1 3-oz. low-fat turkey sausage

* 6 oz. grapefruit juice

MEAL OPTION 3

* Omelet: 1 whole egg, 1 egg white, 1 oz. fat-free cheese and 1/2 red pepper

* 1 piece whole-wheat bread with 1 tbsp apple butter

* 1 orange