Breakfast has always been deemed “the most important meal of the day,” yet no matter how many times mothers preach it, teens continue to skip it.

According to a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, as many as 20 to 30 percent of teens skip breakfast every day; close to one third of high school students are relying on just one meal to fuel them throughout an eight hour school day, perhaps even more when extracurricular activities are factored in.

According to Naperville North health teacher Deanna Nesci, a healthy diet cannot be attained without breakfast.

“A healthy diet is all about balance, moderation and variety,” Nesci said.

The earliest lunch period at NNHS is around 10:30 AM, and those who choose not to eat breakfast have to deal with more than just a growling stomach for their first three classes. A study on WebMD says that eating breakfast improves concentration and performance in the classroom, giving you more strength and energy to engage in physical activity and succeed in the classroom.

In addition to this, skipping breakfast is a bad idea calorically. Without a meal to start your day, it becomes harder to meet the daily suggested caloric intake. According to the most recent study by the USDA of the dietary guidelines for American adolescents, the daily suggested caloric intake is 1,400 for non-active girls, 2,400 for active girls, and a range of 1,600-3,200 for boys. Meeting these benchmarks is unrealistic in two meals and it is likely that in doing so you will face the brutal side effects of not eating enough: heart problems, unexpected weight gain/loss and nutrient deficiencies.

Do yourself a favor and eat something before you walk out the door in the morning, whether it’s a banana or a full English breakfast. You and your body will not regret it.