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THE BENEFITS AND PITFALLS OF SKIPPING MEALS
(NEW YORK TIMES )

How effective is skipping meals when it comes to your health? We all skip meals sometimes for one reason or another, particularly when we are busy. Some people skip too many meals in order to lose weight. A study published in the medical journal Metabolism takes a first-hand look at how our eating habits affect our health and weight.

Diabetes researchers at the National Institute on Aging took healthy men and women with normal weight. For two months, these people ate three meals a day. Afterward, the subjects skipped two meals a day for eight weeks, but consumed just as many calories as their 3-meal-a-day routine, only in one large meal. The researchers found some dangerous metabolic changes. Glucose levels while fasting were raised and insulin response was delayed, which could one day ensure the onset of diabetes.

This study followed another study found conducted earlier this year that made their subjects skip meals every other day. Turns out, skipping meals every other day improved the overall health of overweight adults with asthma. The subjects in this study ate three meals a day one day, followed by a day of restricted eating. They ate only one meal a day about the size of a normal meal, about 500 calories. After two months, the subjects lost eight percent of their weight, asthma conditions improved, and cholesterol levels were improved.

From what the studies demonstrated, skipping meals by controlling the amount of calories you eat could improve your overall health, however, skipping meals then binge eating can be harmful to your body. Just make sure that when you decide to fast, be sure to eat healthy food for your one meal, rather than junk food. Try eating a large salad with low-fat dressing with a side of fruit and whole-wheat bread. To be sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need, eat a multi-vitamin with your meal. Remember, on days you decide to skip meals, do not skip your exercises. It will speed up your metabolism and keep you in shape.