Skipping breakfast is comparable to trying to drive a car without gas. Food is the fuel that lets our bodies function as they should. The name of the morning meal --breakfast -- indicates that breakfast is needed to break the overnight fast to fuel daytime activities.

Breakfast skippers often feel tired, irritable, or restless in the morning. On the other hand, eating breakfast has been associated with better attitudes toward work or school and higher productivity in the late morning, as well as better ability to handle tasks that require memory.

Studies also suggest that eating breakfast may help with weight control and reduced risk for heart disease. Breakfast eaters are less likely to be overly hungry for mid-morning snacks or lunch. They tend to eat less fat during the day, too.

With a new school year underway, it's especially important for children to eat breakfast, either at home or at school. Research has shown that students perform much better in school if they've eaten breakfast.

Morning hunger affects learning since it reduces concentration, problem-solving, and muscle coordination. That's especially hard on young children because basic skills -- reading, writing, and arithmetic -- are often taught first thing in the morning. When children can't reach their learning potential day after day, the can get further and further behind.

Studies have shown that eating breakfast results in students having:

* Increased math and reading scores

* Fewer nurse's office visits

* Improved classroom behavior

* Improved attentiveness

Breakfast need not be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. Choose foods from at least two of the food groups, such as whole grain cereal with milk and fruit, or egg, toast and juice.

Keep quick-to-fix foods on hand--ready-to-eat cereal, bagels, whole-grain toaster waffles, whole-grain bread for toast, yogurt, and canned or fresh fruit.

A quick breakfast sandwich can be made with a slice of leftover meat or deli meat and cheese. Breakfast can even be the leftover casserole from the night before.

Children learn behaviors best when they see an adult modeling that desired behavior. Parents can set a good example by making breakfast a part of their daily routine .

Setting the table the night before can help relieve the morning rush. Putting non-perishable foods, such as boxed cereal, loaf of bread, or bag of bagels on the table saves time in the morning. If time is really an issue, take breakfast with you--a carton of yogurt, toast with peanut butter, fresh fruit, or crackers and cheese.

Be sure you and your family eat breakfast to get the fuel needed for a productive day.