Harvard University tracked over 2,500 patients for 8 years. They found that people who ate breakfast daily had up to 50% less chance of being obese, and that they were equally resistant to becoming sensitive to diabetes.
The reasoning is that your body reacts to how much food it feels is available in its world. If you go for long periods of time without food, your body thinks, "FAMINE!!" It then gorges when it can eat, and packs the food away as fat to help it survive the famine. If instead you eat frequently during the day, with small meals each time, your body relaxes, knowing there is plenty of food. It doesn't bother putting food in fat storage, and you're far less hungry each time you do eat.
Note that what you eat for breakfast is just as important as that you eat it. Another study showed that those who ate carb-rich breakfasts were starving again at lunchtime - and ate a full twice the amount of food and calories. Those who ate low carb breakfasts - with the exact same calorie count - had a much more normal hunger level and were able to eat a nutritious and reasonably sized lunch, and feel full.
Study shows Carbs Make People Hungry
10 Atkins Breakfast Ideas
Lisa Shea's Library of Low Carb Books
