Should I worry about skipping breakfast (不吃早饭)?

Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? It probably depends on what you’re doing for the rest of it. Before the industrial revolution (工业革命), most people had leftovers or nothing for breakfast. Edward Bernays created a marketing project in the 1920s that made eggs and bacon a common breakfast choice. But in today’s world, fewer people work physically challenging jobs, so is it still necessary to begin the day with a protein-rich (富含蛋白质的) meal or a bowl of porridge? Does it matter if you don’t and might there actually be health benefits to breaking your fast later in the day?

First, let’s hear from the breakfast supporters. Some studies suggest that breakfast-skippers have a risk of heart disease and high blood sugar, across a range of populations around the world. At the same time, other studies show breakfast-skippers are more likely to choose poorer foods throughout the day which makes sense, as skipping breakfast seems to keep levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin (饥饿激素) high, while the satiety hormone leptin (饱腹感激素瘦素) stays suppressed.

Breakfast eaters often have healthier habits, but not always.What if some people really care about their health but choose to skip breakfast? Well, actually...

“Skipping breakfast can be described as a kind of ‘time-restricted feeding (限时进食)’, as you reduce the ‘window’ when you can eat, ” says the nutritionist (营养学家) Drew Price. “If I was working with someone who wanted a breakfast-skipping-type plan, then I would be paying more attention than ever to what they are eating to make sure they get enough protein, healthy fats and other beneficial nutrients. However, skipping breakfast isn’t suitable for everyone, especially those people with disordered eating, certain health conditions, and those who are young or elderly, for whom balanced energy intake is important.”

What should you do then? Just eat in the way that lets you make the most healthy choices, most long-lastingly. If that means a couple of fried eggs and some vegetables at 7 a.m., great, but if all you need to make it to 11 a.m. is a strong cup of coffee, don’t worry about it too much. Oh, and if a bowl of porridge can help guide you away from your basic needs, then go for it—we can all use a bit of help in the morning, after all.

【小题1】According to the passage, which health risk is connected with skipping breakfast?

A．Cancer.

B．Stomachache.

C．Cold.

D．Heart disease.

【小题2】The word “suppressed” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A．controlled

B．organized

C．balanced

D．recorded

【小题3】The writer probably agrees that ________.

A．the best breakfast habit depends on yourself

B．disordered eating is a good idea for children

C．balanced energy intake is the key to a healthy life

D．skipping breakfast brings people more food choices

【小题4】What is the writer’s main purpose of writing this passage?

A．To introduce the history and development of breakfast.

B．To provide breakfast meal suggestions for improving health.

C．To highlight how the marketing influences breakfast choices.

D．To discuss whether you need to worry about breakfast skipping or not.