Does eating breakfast have an effect on GPA?
Since long breakfast has been considered an important part of the meal and its importance is emphasized by many studies. In three meals a day, dinner is the last meal and after that a person, usually, sleeps and do not eat till morning. So, breakfast in the morning is like breaking a fast. Therefore, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it comes after a long period of time during which essential nutrients are not consumed (Mahoney, Taylor, Kanarek, &Samuel, 2005). That is the reason students are always suggested not to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast can result in metabolic changes that can influence cognitive function of the children and their academic performance.
The study has been conducted by Kim et al. (2003), in which he examined the effect of breakfast on GPA. In this study, 6,643 students were analyzed, and they were asked to answer a questionnaire. Kim collected the data on the basis of dietary behaviors and food frequency. The academic achievements were measured by taking the data of grade point averages of last semester from the school. He also considered physical condition, socioeconomic factors and food frequency. Kim observed that the academic performance is linked to the regular breakfast habit in children of all age groups. The findings of the study stated that students who ate breakfast regularly have .15 to.28 points higher GPA than students who don’t.
Another study done by Dani, Burrill&Demmig-Adams (2005), stated that eating breakfast has a positive effect on student’s cognitive and learning ability and positive behavior. In many studies, strong relationship found between breakfast and GPA. In USA and Canada, breakfast programs are common to encourage students to eat breakfast. Thus, schools need to educate students and parents on the importance of breakfast and proper nutrition.
Reference List
Mahoney, C., Taylor, H., Kanarek, R., & Samuel, P. 2005. Effect of breakfast composition on cognitive processes in elementary school children. Journal of Physiology and Behavior.85, 635-645.
Kim, H.Y., Frongillo, E.A., Han., S.S., Oh, S.Y., Kim, W.K., Jang, Y.A., Won, H.S., Lee, H.S., & Kim, S.H. 2003. Academic Performance of Korean children is associated with dietary behaviors and physical status. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.12(2), 186-192.
Dani J., Burrill C., &Demmig-Adams B. 2005.The remarkable role of nutrition in learning and behavior.Nutrition and Food Science, 35(4).
