Look What Eating Cereal Can Do!

Can cereal lower my BMI (body mass index)? A study published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association indicated a positive relationship between cereal intake and BMI among adolescent girls, ages 9 to 19. Body mass index is an indicator of body fatness. The higher the value, the more body fat a person has.

When looking at the BMI for each age, girls who ate cereal at least 3 days a week, had a significantly lower BMI compared to those who ate cereal less often or not a all. They had less body fat. Why? The relationship is unclear. However, the study showed that the girls who ate cereal for breakfast consumed significantly less total fat and cholesterol in their diets and significantly more fiber, calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin C and zinc compared to those who did not eat cereal. It appears that those girls who consumed cereal had a healthier diet.

One disturbing trend from the study showed as the girls grew older, more of the girls consumed less cereal each day and many more ate no breakfast at all. This also contributed to higher BMI scores in the older teenagers compared to those who still ate cereal each day. This could be contributing to adult obesity.

The study did not attempt to identify the kinds of cereals consumed.