Even though eating breakfast can ward off the freshman 15 and improve concentration, many Ohio University students are passing on the cereal and Pop Tarts.
And Dining Services is taking notice.
After a lack of interest during Fall and Winter quarters, Dining Services stopped serving breakfast at the Shively Grab 'n' Go ' the only grab 'n' go that offered students a morning meal ' on March 31.
Since Fall Quarter, average daily attendance during the 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. breakfast period was 15 students, Dining Services Director Rich Neumann wrote in an e-mail.
Dining halls also have low attendance during breakfast.
During the last several years, breakfast plate counts have decreased about 15 percent, Neumann wrote.
Plate counts for dining halls that serve breakfast ' Nelson, Shively, Boyd and Bromley ' range between 80 and 225 plates per day, Neumann wrote. Breakfast-plate counts are much smaller than the plate counts for lunch and dinner. The average plate count for lunch and dinner ranges between 450 and 1,425, Neumann wrote.
For some students, the reason to skip breakfast can be as simple as not wanting to wake up early or saving meals swipes.
I try not to skip breakfast
but it's difficult to eat when you have an early class or your meal plan doesn't allow it said sophomore Natasha Aduloju.
Although students might just wait to eat until lunch, recent studies have shown that breakfast has substantial benefits.A 2008 study from the University of Minnesota reports that adding breakfast to a daily routine will decrease the chance of becoming overweight.
Researchers found a direct relationship between eating breakfast and body mass index (BMI) among the eating and exercising habits of 2,216 adolescents. They found that the more often an adolescent eats breakfast, the lower the BMI.On the opposite side, the study found that skipping breakfast could lead to weight gain.
People who skip breakfast tend to eat more throughout the day said Rita Duncan, a dietician and assistant professor in Human and Consumer Sciences.
Hungry students will often eat a lot of unhealthy snacks and will have an unsatisfied appetite, she said.
After sleeping, people need to replenish their bodies to replace lost nutrients and get started for the day, said Deborah Murray, dietician and assistant professor in Human and Consumer Sciences.
The ideal time to eat breakfast is during the morning, within an hour of waking, Murray said.
It is best to eat soon after waking to re-hydrate the body and restore the fluids lost during sleep, said Aduloju, who is also the president of the Minority Association of Pre-medical Students.
Breakfast can be whenever you want it to be
Duncan said. But if you wait until lunch to eat
you'll be ready to eat the furniture
she said.
Researchers from the study in Minnesota also found that people who ate breakfast consumed more carbohydrates and fiber, fewer fat calories and exercised more.
People who eat breakfast usually have better concentration and coordination
Duncan said. For those who do eat breakfast in the dining halls, some of the most popular foods are eggs, pancakes and french toast, Neumann wrote.
Other students prefer to take something they can eat on the way to class.
Bagels are pretty awesome
also some orange juice to grab on the way out
Aduloju said.
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