Get your score

Does skipping breakfast make you gain weight?

What you hear: “Breakfast is the most important meal, and skipping it slows your metabolism and makes you put on weight.”

What the studies found

A 2019 review of 13 randomised trials found that, in the 7 that measured weight, people assigned to eat breakfast weighed about 0.44 kg more than those told to skip it, and in 10 trials they ate about 260 more calories a day, though the trials were short and of mostly low quality. A 16-week trial of 309 adults trying to lose weight found that being told to eat or skip breakfast made no real difference to weight loss. A 6-week trial in 33 lean adults found that eating or skipping breakfast did not change resting metabolism. Observational studies do find that breakfast skippers are more likely to be overweight (45 studies, about 1.4 to 1.5 times the odds), but skippers differ in many other habits, and the trials don't show breakfast itself prevents weight gain.

Take care: People on insulin or other glucose-lowering medicines should talk to their clinician before changing meal timing.

What you could do

Eat breakfast if it keeps you full and focused, skip it if you're not hungry; total diet quality matters more.

See it in the habit library, with what it means for your own longevity score.

Not medical advice. General information from published studies, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Talk with your doctor before starting a supplement or changing a medicine, especially if you are pregnant, take other medicines or have a health condition.

How we judged it

Doesn't hold up: Good studies looked and found no benefit, or the claim is plainly false. We judge the claim as it is usually said online, not the habit itself. Trials assign people at random, so they can show cause; observed studies follow people and show a link, not proof. Last checked: October 2026.

The studies, in their own words

1. Sievert et al. BMJ 2019

   Meta-analysis of the results found a small difference in weight favouring participants who skipped breakfast (mean difference 0.44 kg, 95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.82)

2. Sievert et al. BMJ 2019

   Participants assigned to breakfast had a higher total daily energy intake than those assigned to skip breakfast (mean difference 259.79 kcal/day, 78.87 to 440.71; 1 kcal=4.18 kJ)

3. Dhurandhar et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2014

   Treatment assignment did not have a significant effect on weight loss, and there was no interaction between initial breakfast eating status and treatment.

4. Betts et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2014

   Contrary to popular belief, there was no metabolic adaptation to breakfast (eg, resting metabolic rate stable within 11 kcal/d)

5. Ma et al. Obes Res Clin Pract 2020

   In cohort studies, The RR of low-frequency breakfast intake per week versus high frequency was 1.44 (95% CI 1.25-1.66

More claims, checked

• Doesn't hold upVibration plates melt fat
• Doesn't hold up'Adrenal fatigue' and adrenal supplements
• Doesn't hold upSeed oils are toxic
• Backed by trialsA 10-minute walk after meals
• Partly trueIntermittent fasting and time-restricted eating
• Partly trueApple cider vinegar before meals

See all 50 claims