The findings are published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The researchers examined breakfast and cereal consumption of more than 2,300 girls over a 10-year period starting when they were 9 or 10 years old.
According to the findings, as the girls moved through their teen years, those who ate cereal had a lower body mass index. They also found cereal consumption had positive effects on the girls' nutrient intake, particularly in higher levels of calcium and fiber and lower levels of fat and cholesterol.
Says the researchers in a release, "Cereal consumption may be one component of a healthful lifestyle that helps adolescent girls to maintain adequate nutrient intake and a healthful BMI."
The study is supported by General Mills Inc. and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
