By Paulina Jaar
Ask any teenage girl if she eats breakfast, and her answer will likely be no. Ask any teenage girl absolutely anything before lunchtime, and she would probably be too moody to even answer. Many people blame the fact that school starts too early, but the real problem may be much simpler: students are skipping breakfast.
The word breakfast literally means “to break the fast.” While sleeping, the body goes eight or more hours without food. By morning, the brain and body have been running on empty the whole night. Breakfast is the first opportunity to replenish that energy and prepare the body for the day ahead.
This process involves more than hunger: it involves hormones. Several hormones begin working as soon as a person wakes up and food plays a major role in regulating them. One of these hormones is cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone. According to the Cleveland Clinic, cortisol naturally rises in the morning to help the body wake up and become alert. However, when someone skips breakfast, cortisol levels can remain elevated longer than necessary. Higher cortisol levels are associated with feelings such as stress, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Breakfast also helps regulate blood sugar and insulin, two systems that directly influence energy levels. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the brain depends heavily on glucose from food to function properly. When breakfast is skipped, blood sugar becomes unstable, which may lead to fatigue, brain fog, and irritability during the morning.
Two other hormones also help explain why skipping breakfast affects hunger later in the day are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin signals hunger, while leptin signals fullness. According to a research summary by the National Institutes of Health, irregular eating patterns can disrupt the balance between these hormones. Ghrelin levels may increase, making you feel hungrier later in the day, while leptin signals become weaker. In other words, skipping breakfast can make you feel hungrier and less satisfied later on.
This helps explain why breakfast is widely recognized as “the most important meal of the day.” According to the American Dietetic Association, students who eat breakfast regularly tend to demonstrate better concentration, stronger memory, and improved academic performance compared to those who skip it.
So, why do so many students skip breakfast? The answer often comes down to habit. Many people weren’t raised eating breakfast so their bodies aren’t used to feeling hungry in the morning. The human body follows an internal clock called a circadian rhythm, a biological system that regulates sleep, energy, and hunger patterns. According to the Sleep Foundation, circadian rhythms influence when the body expects food throughout the day. When someone consistently eats breakfast, the body gradually learns to anticipate food in the morning. If you consistently eat breakfast, your body will eventually start to feel hungry in the morning.
That being said, I understand the temptation to skip breakfast. Mornings are busy, and sometimes sleep feels more important than food. However, breakfast has always been part of my routine because that was how I grew up. Over time, my body learned to expect food in the morning.
Now let’s talk about what makes a good breakfast. The ideal breakfast includes three key components: protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Protein helps keep you full and supports brain function. Healthy fats help stabilize blood sugar and provide long-lasting energy. Carbohydrates give your brain quick fuel to start the day.
In a way, breakfast is one of the simplest ways to “hack” your health. It helps regulate hormones, stabilize energy levels, improve focus, and support overall mood. For students trying to perform their best in school, that’s a powerful advantage.
Sometimes the biggest changes don’t need complicated solutions. Sometimes, they start with something as simple as breakfast.
THE BEAR FACTS 