The good news for breakfast dodgers is that piling on pounds isn't inevitable – as long as you control those high-calorie cravings and stay active.

Research shows that although avoiding breakfast will make you hungrier and you might make up for that with a bigger lunch, this won't necessarily make you "fatter" – on average, those who skip breakfast don't eat more across the whole day than if they didn't skip it. Some researchers have found that you may even eat fewer calories overall, and end up using your body's fat reserves for energy, which can actually help you lose weight.

However, weight isn't the only consideration: studies show that breakfast-skippers are likely to exercise less. This may be because they have lower energy levels – after eight hours or so without food, the body will have used up most of its stores of easy-to- access energy during sleep. Morning fasters are also more likely to have unhealthy, but appetite-suppressing habits, such as smoking or drinking a lot of coffee.

If you want to ensure that you eat a regular, nourishing breakfast, try preparing it the night before – don't leave it until the morning, when your brain struggles to make good decisions.

If you do skip breakfast...