The most common reason for not feeling hungry in the mornings is that your stomach may still have food in it from the night before. This is common in people who eat dinner really late or snack during the evening or night. Try having your evening meal a lot earlier, and no snacking after 9pm so that when you wake up nine or ten hours have elapsed since you last ate.

If you’re actually too busy and don’t think about breakfast until you’re out of the door in the morning then set the table the night before and set the alarm five minutes earlier so you do have time for breakfast. You could also take breakfast with you by packing it into a lunchbox the night before and have it at work or wherever you are.

If your appetite is disjointed, start eating regular meals so your eating patterns help you to feel hungry at the right times.

Research shows that people who eat breakfast are better at losing weight and keep it off long-term. They also perform better at work and school in the mornings because their concentration and recall is better. People who eat breakfast also have healthier eating habits overall and this is partly because many breakfast foods such as cereal, milk, fruit and breads contain nutrients that are essential for a healthy body.

Are you Australia's healthiest eater? Try the Healthy Eating Quiz developed by the School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle.

Dr Clare Collins is a Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle and consultant for The Biggest Loser.