Frequent cereal eaters have healthier body weights, studies show.

It's true of men.

It's true of women.

It's true of kids in every age group.

In fact, a nationwide study* followed more than 2,000 girls spanning a 10-year period. The study found that the risk of being overweight decreased by 13 percent among girls who frequently ate cereal.

*The study drew upon the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, a longitudinal, biracial observational cohort study that recruited 2,379 girls (1,166 white, 1,213 black) aged 9 or 10 in Berkeley, Calif.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. It then recorded information gathered from participants over a 10-year period.