Skipping breakfast could cause diabetes in men

London - If you happen to be one of those who doesn't mind avoiding breakfast, watch out. For scientists have found that men regularly skipping their morning meal are more likely to develop diabetes.

The study discovered that missing out on food first thing in the morning increases a man’s chances of getting the disease by more than 20 percent compared to men who routinely eat after waking up in the morning, the Daily Mail reported.

The latest results, from a major investigation involving about 30,000 men, offer the strongest evidence yet that it can reduce the risk of diabetes. They also show that even men, who are not overweight and may have a reasonably healthy diet the rest of the time, could still be at risk if they miss breakfast.

The findings emerged as part of a wide-ranging study being carried out into male health by researchers at Harvard School of Public Medicine in the United States.

Researchers tracked the breakfast habits of 29,206 men over a 16-year period. None had diabetes at the start of the study.

The study - published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - found that those who hardly ever had breakfast had a 21 percent increase in risk compared to those who did.