Metabolic syndromes, increased use of ready-to-eat, packed, and convenience foods, reduced physical activity, sedentary lifestyles, stress, low movement demands from workplaces, and busy schedules are collectively pushing populations towards higher weight gains; the need to normalize weight as well as the desire to reduce weight is increasing. Occupational demands, health requirements, and social and media pressures are doing their bit to urge the pounds to fall. Weight loss has become a common stream of discussion and study as each day throws light on newer research that assists in arriving at simpler options to reduce weight. Dietary modifications combined with alterations in one’s physical workout routines are known to reduce weight gain or lose weight significantly. Though there are several myths on the weight loss front, one of the most popular is that skipping meals can help reduce weight, and that too at a faster pace.

To clear the myth - skipping meals does not help reduce weight faster!

When a meal is skipped, the blood sugar dips drastically, and the body cells are starved. Unless these cells do not get their fuel to function (glucose from the blood), physiological processes are disturbed. Hence, in the meal that follows this skipped meal, the feeling of hunger is much higher and can lead to the consumption of much more food than the individual normally would. Overeating at a meal following the one that was skipped can increase the stomach’s capacity. Hence, frequent skipping of meals can cause frequent overeating as well. This will add some weight gradually, causing a weight gain instead of the desired weight loss.

Skipping intermittent small meals and consuming only the major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) reduces the rate of metabolism. Fats, like all other nutrients, are digested at a slower rate, due to which body fat begins to accumulate over the long term. If the larger meals are skipped due to time shortage or because other activities are required to be prioritized, then over the long term, this can begin to get stressful. In turn, this can contribute to weight gain and increased blood pressure when combined with lowered blood glucose levels. If meal time is substituted with physical activity to reduce weight, it further reduces blood glucose levels and increases hunger.

Skipping breakfast is a prevalent practice the world over owing to various other activities that demand time at the start of the day or take precedence over the breakfast meal. Breakfast is the day's first meal after a long time gap from the previous night’s meal. Hence, it must fulfill the body’s demand to satisfy the low blood sugar in the morning. Skipping breakfast can, therefore, cause increased snacking of high-fat and sugary foods, as observed by Resnicow as a part of his breakfast study. An extensive review assembled by Smith and co-researchers revealed that breakfast consumption on a regular basis was associated with several health benefits, of which better weight management, reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome, lower cholesterol, better cardiac health, and improved digestive health, are stated.

The key to weight loss is a well-planned, practical, and balanced diet, one that is customized based on the individual’s health profile. The meal should provide a comfortable satiety value so as to normalize weight with a healthful and safe approach. Combined with the right exercise, as advised by a fitness expert, weight loss may be achieved without skipping any meal at all.