Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day. But over time, a lot of youngsters seem to have forgotten about its existence altogether. Metrolife talks to students and young professionals in the City to understand why it is so.
The most obvious culprit is the change in sleeping patterns, thanks to the culture of staying up late. One can owe it to technology, homework, personal habits and other forms of recreation. Youngsters believe that sleeping early at night is a waste of time.
"Late nights and late mornings have become the norm for the youth. We're invariably in a rush, and by the time daily absolutions like taking bath and brushing the teeth are over, there's hardly any time for a nutritious breakfast. The roadside stalls serving chai and cookies thrive because of us," says 22-year-old Samved, who seems pretty content with his current lifestyle.
It is interesting to know that most of them can go without the most essential meal of the day. In fact, there is almost a sense of pride that they can do without it. Ajan Kancharla, a web developer, feels that making time to have a full breakfast actually messes up his schedule. "I stopped having breakfast since I joined college because I need more hours to sleep. Just tea and a snack during break time fits easily into my schedule," says the 27-year-old. "A glass of milk in the morning is enough for me since I enjoy a heavy lunch," Ajan adds.
Be it a bowl of cereal or just an apple to bite into, something needs to go into the stomach in the first few hours of the morning to prevent acidity. Skipping breakfast can lead to stress, mood swings, metabolic diseases and gall bladder stones!
Of course, there are also those people who absolutely cannot do without a full breakfast before heading out to college or work. "Breakfast used to be an alien concept to me when I was in college. There was no time for it and I didn't want to bother making time for it. But now, I can't work without at least a sandwich or vada pav and a glass of juice," says 20-year-old Varsha Suman, who works nine hours a day.
She says that her body starts reacting adversely if she misses the meal. "My stomach starts rumbling, my hands quiver because of weakness and I can't concentrate on the task at hand."
So, regardless of whether one is health-conscious or not, it is a must to focus on breakfast for long-term health benefits. There was a good reason why someone once said 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.'
The most obvious culprit is the change in sleeping patterns, thanks to the culture of staying up late. One can owe it to technology, homework, personal habits and other forms of recreation. Youngsters believe that sleeping early at night is a waste of time.
"Late nights and late mornings have become the norm for the youth. We're invariably in a rush, and by the time daily absolutions like taking bath and brushing the teeth are over, there's hardly any time for a nutritious breakfast. The roadside stalls serving chai and cookies thrive because of us," says 22-year-old Samved, who seems pretty content with his current lifestyle.
It is interesting to know that most of them can go without the most essential meal of the day. In fact, there is almost a sense of pride that they can do without it. Ajan Kancharla, a web developer, feels that making time to have a full breakfast actually messes up his schedule. "I stopped having breakfast since I joined college because I need more hours to sleep. Just tea and a snack during break time fits easily into my schedule," says the 27-year-old. "A glass of milk in the morning is enough for me since I enjoy a heavy lunch," Ajan adds.
Be it a bowl of cereal or just an apple to bite into, something needs to go into the stomach in the first few hours of the morning to prevent acidity. Skipping breakfast can lead to stress, mood swings, metabolic diseases and gall bladder stones!
Of course, there are also those people who absolutely cannot do without a full breakfast before heading out to college or work. "Breakfast used to be an alien concept to me when I was in college. There was no time for it and I didn't want to bother making time for it. But now, I can't work without at least a sandwich or vada pav and a glass of juice," says 20-year-old Varsha Suman, who works nine hours a day.
She says that her body starts reacting adversely if she misses the meal. "My stomach starts rumbling, my hands quiver because of weakness and I can't concentrate on the task at hand."
So, regardless of whether one is health-conscious or not, it is a must to focus on breakfast for long-term health benefits. There was a good reason why someone once said 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.'