London: Children who skip any of the main meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - and cling on to sugary foods are more likely to have excess body fat and an increased risk of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke, research has found.

"Based on the findings, sticking to regular meals seems to be crucial for preventing overweight and cardiometabolic diseases already in childhood," said Aino-Maija Eloranta from University of Eastern Finland.