A new study published in the British Medical Journal has shown that eating breakfast does not make people slim down, Punch says.

According to the Cable News Network, the study found that people who ate breakfast regularly consumed more calories each day and those who skipped it did not have an increased appetite later in the day.

The researchers noted that those who ate breakfast experienced no weight loss and people who did not eat morning meals also saw no weight gain.

The researchers found that the people who ate breakfast had an average of 260 calories a day extra and they tended to be heavier.

On the other hand, those who skipped breakfast were on the average 0.44 kg lighter, according to the study.

The lead author of the study, Prof Flavia Cicuttini, said, “The results suggest that eating breakfast contributes to weight gain simply by more calorie intake. The clinical trials showed that if people are encouraged to eat breakfast, they still eat more calories than they should later in the day.”

She, however, advised that the latest findings should be interpreted with caution because some of the 13 trials used in the study did not last long and the quality of the trials varied.

“I think the key to weight loss is the number of calories you eat. People who always eat breakfast shouldn’t be discouraged from doing so. But overweight people, who eat breakfast, should be encouraged to count the calories they consume in the morning and see how they fit in with the rest of their meals throughout the day,” Cicuttini said.

She said the belief that breakfast aids food metabolism and leaves breakfast eaters less hungry throughout the day was derived from previous observational studies, adding that people who eat breakfast possibly have other healthy habits.