Who needs breakfast anyway? Everyone.

Literally meaning, “breaking the fast,” breakfast is the meal that we’ve all heard is the “most important meal of the day.” Yet, remarkably, it is also the meal that most people skip.

According to a poll taken by “Good Morning America,” 40 percent of people do not eat breakfast. It seems the older you are, the more likely you will take the time to care about starting your day off right. Of the people over age 65, 83 percent said they don’t miss breakfast, and are accompanied by 71 percent of those in their 50s. However, over half of us who haven’t lived the first century of our life don’t eat breakfast.

Eating is like putting fuel in your car. When you run out of gas, your car does not run. It’s that simple. Food is necessary for our bodies to function. Think of meal time as a “re-fueling opportunity.” When you sleep all through the night your body needs to be rebooted in the morning.

One possible cause for such a high obesity rate in the United States may be the fast-paced, breakfast neglecting lifestyle. Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager for the Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School, says, “When you don’t eat breakfast, you’re actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you’re not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight.”

It is exciting to know that much of our self-esteem, tiredness, moodiness, and lack of focus could be notably improved by developing a habit of healthy eating habit. That should be inclusive of three reasonably portioned meals a day, and possibly a healthy snack to gas up your tank and prevent the mid-morning or afternoon slump. Give it a try; you may just notice the difference.

Find some breakfast foods that you like. It’s important that you enjoy what you’re eating and that you learn to enjoy nutritious foods. Here are a few healthy ideas: eggs, whole grain cereal, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, grits, granola, smoothies, or milkshakes.