Tackling Health Inequalities
the Breakfast Way

In the UK, a range of private sector companies, non-governmental organisations  and individuals came together and tackled this issue head on. With support from financial institutions, the hospitality and leisure sector and the food sector, Magic Breakfast, a British charity, has succeeded in touching the lives of thousands of children in hundreds of schools.

Despite being one of the richest economies in the world, there are almost 4 million children in the UK growing up in poverty and an estimated 700,000 children arriving at school hungry, with a third of children regularly missing breakfast before school.

In the words of Carmel McConnell from Magic Breakfast, “A hungry child cannot concentrate. We think every child needs a healthy breakfast, ideally at home with their parents. But some parents cannot provide – so let’s not allow any child to miss out on their future success for want of a breakfast. That's why Magic Breakfast reaches into the heart of communities to close the attainment and nutrition gap and give every child the best start to every day.”

MagicBreakfast targets schools where over 50% of the children are living in poverty and eligible for Free School Meals (the UK average is 17%). The charity has identified 200 primary schools across the UK, where it now feeds free breakfasts (bagels, porridge, orange juice and cereals) to 6,000 children.

Carmel McConnell explains: “We make sure we reach the children most in need, the children who are arriving at school without having breakfast or in some cases any food since lunchtime the day before. We don’t believe in quick fixes for a larger social problem. But breakfast can go a long way to solving the problem of child hunger at the start of the school day.”

Children agree. Patrice from Hackney in London says that “I used to be very sleepy, but since I’ve been coming to breakfast club I’ve been on the ball.”

Teachers support the initiative too. Louise Nichols, Headteacher at Kingsmead Primary School, explains that “Magic Breakfast has meant a safe, happy start to the day for all Kingsmead children that need it. With Magic Breakfast’s help we have been able to make our breakfast club free and therefore accessible to all.”

Thousands of young people are skipping breakfast leaving them tired and irritable, says a study.

According to a survey of 10,000 parents across the UK around one in six secondary school pupils aged 11 to 16 don't have a morning meal.

The findings, published in a report by the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA), could account for low concentration levels in the classroom.

According to a study one in six secondary school pupils aged 11 to 16 don't have a morning meal, which could account for low concentration levels.

It concludes: 'Students going without breakfast cannot be at their best for learning during morning lessons and so can be less attentive and a disruption in class.'

Overall results showed that 15 per cent of secondary school pupils are going to school without breakfast - the equivalent of around four pupils in a class of 30.

Meanwhile 3.9 percent of primary school children, aged 4 to 11 are missing out.

The report, commissioned to mark National School Meals Week from November 7-11, also showed that many parents are still wary of free school meals (FSM).

Almost one in six (14.8 per cent) of parents with children eligible for FSM - a measure of poverty - said they did not take up this entitlement.

The main reasons given by parents were that they have a family meal in the evening, their child likes to eat with their friends and that they were worried their youngster would be identified as being on FSM.

Judy Hargadon, chief executive of the School Food Trust, highlighted that it must be the parent's responsibility to ensure that children are well fed before and during the school day.

She said: 'With school food no longer inspected by Ofsted, the influence of parents is very powerful for demanding that every child has a good experience at lunchtime.

'When children eat better, they do better, and how they feel about lunch can make or break their entire day at school.'

Despite concerns, the findings show an improvement from a similar study carried out last year.

A survey of 4,326 children, aged 10-16, in England by the University of Essex showed that almost a third of children regularly went without breakfast before school.

The findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that boys often blame lack of time, while many girls skipped meals to lose weight.

Click here to view the original article.

The event was led by a Judge (MEP John Bowis), the Inquisitor (Dr Ian Banks (European Men's Health Forum)), and expert witnesses Karin Hådell (European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians), Hugo Ramon (European Association of Teachers) and Dr Vincenzo Costigliola (European Medical Association), with the invited guests playing the crucial role of the Jury. Following a primary vote, which found nearly half the Jury supporting the charge, the panel of expert witnesses [who represent the four different pillars of the 'Breakfast is Best' campaign: health & nutrition, obesity, cognition and physical activity] were cross-examined by the Inquisitor.

Supporting witnesses and the event's jury were drawn from industry, trade associations, the EU institutions, Permanent Representations and the media.

The testimonies provided by the experts fuelled lively discussions on each of the tables, the results of which were noted by the appointed foreman and shared with all the jury members during dessert.

The final verdict was clear - Breakfast was found Not Guilty of Negligence. The trial's findings confirmed that breakfast has strong benefits ranging from general heart health and the reduction of obesity, to an increase in cognitive abilities and safety at the workplace. However, the trial demonstrated that more substantive actions need to be implemented to promote the important benefits of breakfast and to ensure that breakfast is treated as a serious public policy issue.

For the official press release please click here. For a selection of entertaining event photos please click here. For more information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

The mock trial will address the charge made against breakfast of negligence.

The panel of expert witnesses will each represent the four pillars of the ‘Breakfast is Best Campaign’ – health & nutrition, obesity, cognition and physical activity – where they will present about the importance of breakfast before being cross-examined by the inquisitor. The jury will then debate the issue and discuss the outcome over dinner before making a final vote as to whether breakfast is guilty of the aforementioned charge.

The event will begin at 18.30 with the Jury verdict due to be announced at 21.30.

To register for the event or to find out more information about ‘Breakfast on Trial’ contact us at info@breakfastisbest.eu

The alignment of ‘Breakfast is Best’ with the health white paper of DG Sanco – whose role is to help make Europe's citizens healthier, safer and more confident – is an important step forwards for the campaign and its members and proves that breakfast is being treated as a serious public policy issue by EU decision makers. One of the key aims of the Breakfast is Best campaign is to ensure that the benefits of breakfast become an integral element of relevant government communication activities.

DG Sanco and the Breakfast is Best campaigners are currently looking at ways to further maximise synergies to spread the message about the importance of breakfast.

Dr Vincenzo Costigliola, President, European Medical Association, states that: "The benefits of breakfast are clear and scientifically proven, and it is essential that decision-makers wake-up to the importance of breakfast and play a full part in encouraging Europeans to eat breakfast more regularly."

The fact that 61% of Europeans skip breakfast at least once a week, and that in many European countries the trend is towards eating breakfast less frequently, means that it is very important that breakfast is treated as a serious public policy issue. Karin Hådell, Honorary President of the European Federation of the Association of Dieticians, adds that: "It is essential that we halt the worrying decline in the number of Europeans regularly eating breakfast and this cannot be achieved without Europe’s public authorities playing a more active role in this area."

According to Jean-Claude Gonon, Secretary-General of the European Association of Teachers: "The objective of the Breakfast is Best campaign is clear: we want public policy makers to recognise the benefits of breakfast, and to make breakfast a key element of relevant government communication activities. The message ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ should be as well understood and acted upon as the advice to ‘eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.’"

More specifically, the campaign calls for policy makers to encourage more regular breakfast consumption by: including "eat breakfast every day" in public health campaigns; adding "eat breakfast every day" to nutrition advice tips; including the importance of a morning meal in school curricula; and encouraging employers to promote it to their employees.

The campaign is being backed by a coalition of organizations, all of whom have an interest in ensuring that European citizens enjoy the full benefits of breakfast.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Phelps’s diet is high in carbohydrates and fats - not the classic diet for an Olympic athlete, one would think – and breakfast plays a key role in meeting his nutrition needs. On a typical day, he consumes three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, fried onions and mayonnaise; three chocolate chip pancakes; a five-egg omelette; three sugar-coated slices of French toast and a bowl of grits, all washed down with two cups of coffee.

However, Phelps is not the only sportsman to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many other big names also kick off their day with a hearty breakfast.

Olympic cycling gold medallist, Kristin Armstrong, also starts her day with breakfast. For Kristin, and many other athletes, sometimes one morning meal is not enough; she often has a small breakfast before working out, followed by another immediately after.

The most common breakfast consumed by athletes is oatmeal. Many say that the slowly-digesting carbohydrates help to keep them active throughout the day. Sometimes, a little peanut butter or non-fat yoghurt can be added to boost the protein content.

New Zealand’s rugby team, the All Blacks, are consistently one of the world’s top teams, and nutrition plays a big part in what makes the team play like champions. The All Blacks’ diet gives them the energy they need, whilst avoiding too many foods high in saturated fats. A typical breakfast would feature fruit, cereal, yoghurt, fruit juice and a poached egg or two on toast - with grilled tomatoes on the side.

However, before you begin bulking up for Olympic glory, a word of warning. Experts say Phelps' diet is not recommended for the average person. Jeff Kotterman, director of the U.S. National Association of Sports Nutrition, explained to the BBC's Michael Hirst that Phelps’s diet is appropriate for him because, "it's a combination of peak performance coupled with the fact that he has an enormous metabolism - he burns more calories sitting at a desk than a lot of people burn walking."

So, although we shouldn’t all eat 10,000 calories a day, even the amateur sportsman or woman can benefit from breakfast - the meal of champions.

Metabolic syndrome – a condition that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes – is particularly prevalent in obese males, and is linked to abdominal fat, the main type of fat in men.

Skipping breakfast increases the risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome because it can lead to snacking on high calorie foods which, when combined with the metabolic change which takes place during starvation, tends to lay down more fat than usual. ‘Breaking the fast’ helps stop this insidious and potentially harmful process.

It is for these, and many other reasons, that the EMHF fully supports this exciting campaign, and would recommend pan-European employer outreach programmes to encourage businesspeople to educate their employees about the benefits of breakfast and to make breakfast available to their workforce. We agree - wholeheartedly – that breakfast really is best.

Prof. Ian Banks
President, European Men’s Health Forum

To tackle these many challenges, politicians, academics and teachers developed multi-field research in the science of education. A global approach to educational policy has now begun to see the light of day in Europe: social and economic factors, public health problems and cultural and teaching approaches are all now taken into account by teachers and experts alike. The work of these professionals is also accompanied by an understandably impassioned and continuous public debate about how best to improve our education systems and the performance of our students.

Amongst the discussions about school curricula, teaching methods, difficulty in attracting and retaining teaching talent, class sizes and the like, one factor that has a major
impact on educational performance is ignored. The missing link is simple - the valuable contribution that breakfast can have.