Importance of Eating Breakfast

A 1998 study by A.P. Smith concluded that eating breakfast was associated with better mental health. Those who ate cereal every morning were less depressed, less stressed, and were also less emotionally distressed. While the physical weight benefits of eating breakfast are widely known, the mental benefits are not as well known. Eating breakfast is not only important to maintain a healthy body weight, but it is vital for maintaining a healthy mental state, as well.

Because eating breakfast is so important, I have created a plan people can use to start eating breakfast every morning, based on the Theory of Reasoned Action/Theory of  Planned Behavior (TRA/TPB). It is outlined below:

1. Before the intervention occurs, answer the following question - "On a scale of 1-7 (1 being not likely at all and 7 being very likely), how likely are you to eat breakfast every morning?" This will show the individual how strong their intent is to perform the behavior.
2. On a scale of 1-7(1 being not important at all and 7 being very important), rate a series of statements that describe the benefits of eating breakfast daily. Example questions are
   -Being focused at work
   -Maintaining a health weight
   -Being in a good mood
   By rating these statements, the individual will come to realize that the benefits of eating breakfast are outcomes which they value. They want these positive outcomes to occur. 
3. Read about how eating breakfast will bring about the positive outcomes listed in number 2. Now that the individual values the outcomes, they will be more interested in reading about how to increase the chances of those positive outcomes occurring. 
4. Show a video of people eating breakfast. The people in the video should be similar to the population participating in the intervention. If the individual sees people similar to them eating breakfast, they will see that eating breakfast is a 'cool' thing to do and they will be more inclined to eat breakfast.
5. Encourage the individual to buy a wide variety of breakfast foods. If the individual has many different options to choose from, their sense of control will increase. They won't be able to say that they don't have any food for breakfast or that they don't have anything they like to eat. If they have food stocked that they want to eat, then they will be more likely to eat it.
6. After the intervention, answer the following question - "On a scale of 1-7(1 being not likely and all and 7 being very likely), how likely are you to eat breakfast every morning?" By comparing their answer to this question to the first time they answered it, they will see how their willingness to perform the behavior has changed. If the intervention was successful, they should notice that their willingness to perform the behavior has increased. 

This is a quick and inexpensive intervention that can be applied in many different settings, from schools to churches, and can even be done in therapy sessions. If a therapist is having difficulty getting a client to commit to breakfast, perhaps performing an intervention similar to this could be helpful.