Skipping breakfast has drawbacks. Studies indicate that the metabolism of people who habitually skip breakfast can slow down to a point where it burns 100-200 fewer calories a day. When they skip breakfast, some people will experience symptoms of low blood sugar. They will feel light-headed, shaky, weak and be unable to concentrate, says Green-Burgeson – a registered dietitian at UC Davis Medical Centre. Some people erroneously think that by skipping breakfast, they will reduce their calorie intake for the day and that it will help them to lose weight. Not only is this not the case, but you are also giving your body the worst possible start in the morning and putting it under unnecessary pressure. Missing breakfast often leads to overeating at some point later on in the day, usually snacking on unhealthy foods, which are high in calories and fat. You may also become overly hungry mid-morning and by lunchtime could end up eating twice as much as if you had eaten a healthy breakfast that released energy slowly throughout the day. Skipping breakfast seems a simple way of losing weight or saving time while getting the children ready for school or rushing off to work. But it can also be a sign of an unhealthy lifestyle with potentially dangerous consequences, including a higher risk of premature death. According to a study, adults and teenagers who miss the first meal of the day are less likely to look after their health. They tend to smoke more, drink more alcohol and take less exercise than those who do eat. Those who skip food in the morning are also more likely to be fatter and less well-educated, meaning they find it harder to get a job.