Many studies around the world have shown that children who eat no breakfast perform poorly in tasks of concentration, their attention spans are shorter, they achieve lower test scores, and they have higher rates of tardiness and absenteeism than their breakfast-eating peers. Even children who have eaten breakfast suffer from distracting hunger by late morning; unfed children suffer all the more. Evidence also suggests that nutrients consumed at breakfast also affect a child's overall nutrition profile. The lost nutrients that children miss out by skipping breakfast does not seem to be made up during the rest of the day; they are more poorly nourished overall than those who eat breakfast. In Hong Kong primary students, breakfast skipping has been shown to be associated with being tired upon arrival to schools, more obesity and poorer school performance. Studies of healthy older adults show that one of the habits they embrace is that of having a regular breakfast, too!

In Hong Kong, evidence suggests that many children are not eating breakfast. A study conducted by the Chinese University indicates that only 5% of primary three children do not eat breakfast. However, the trend of not having breakfast increases as children grow. By primary six, approximately 23% of children are not eating breakfast daily. A local survey of 4000 Form 2 and Form 4 secondary students showed that only 35% had breakfast daily, with an additional 23% reporting eating breakfast "almost every day". In addition to having the habit of eating breakfast, having a nutritious breakfast is also crucial.

Sustained programs to promote and support the lifelong healthy daily breakfast eating habits begun in early childhood and continued throughout secondary school are the most effective means of education. Such programs require long term and continuous efforts to promote and support/maintain such changes to healthier habits. These activities, some school-based and also with the ability to reach out to parents, propose also to raise public awareness of breakfast eating to children and families in Hong Kong,