Teens who skip breakfast lose their virginity earlier

According to recent research from Japan, teenagers who skip breakfast lose their virginity earlier.

The research funded by the Japanese Government suggests that those who start the day with a proper meal when in middle school become sexually active later and the researchers say the link between breakfast and sex probably comes from family life.

The research by Dr. Kunio Kitamura, head of the Japan Family Planning Association, included a survey which examined sexual experiences as well as family relationships and lifestyle habits of around 1,500 Japanese females and males aged 16 to 49 and was conducted in September.

The survey revealed that the average age of first-time sex for those who said they ate breakfast every day as a middle school student was 19.4, while for those who skipped breakfast, the average age was 17.5.

Dr. Kitamura says the fact that people can't eat breakfast may show something about their family environment and it may be necessary to look into the sort of homes people are from before blaming individuals for having sex at an early age - he says if children don't feel comfortable in their family environment, they tend to go out and young people who start having sex early tend to miss breakfast because they return home late.

The survey which set out to examine ways to reduce unwanted pregnancies, also showed the average age of first-time sex was lower for those who found their mothers annoying and concluded that a stable home life discouraged early sex.

The survey also revealed that almost 40% of married couples had not had sex in more than a month because they were too tired or found sex a chore.

Japan has one of the lowest birth-rates in the world as more young people delay starting a family for career or lifestyle reasons.