ABSTRACT
Although it is generally agreed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day [14], there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of children and adolescents who reported that they regularly skipped breakfast [15]. A decline in regular breakfast consumption by children has also been reported in Asia [16], [17]. For instance, approximately 10% of school-aged children and adolescents in Hong Kong were reported to be skipping breakfast at least 4 times a week [16]. In Malaysia, it has been found that breakfast is the most frequently missed meal [17]. Because of this trend towards breakfast skipping in children and adolescents, and because of the possible health effects, it is important to determine whether this dietary pattern might affect body adiposity and abdominal obesity of Malaysian children and adolescents.
