Here’s more proof that eating a good breakfast every morning is good for your health: According to a new study published in the journal Public Health, teens who skip a morning meal or who only eat or drink something sweet for breakfast may face a higher risk of metabolic syndrome later in life, the Huffington Post reports.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions, including high triglyceride (blood fat) levels, hypertension, high glucose levels and abdominal obesity that work together to raise a person’s risk of diabetes and stroke.

To determine the link between these medical conditions and adolescent breakfast habits, Swedish researchers at Umea University looked at data from 889 people. Participants answered questions about their breakfast habits when they were 16. At age 43, researchers checked in with them again to see if they had developed metabolic syndrome.

By the end of the trial, scientists found that eating a poor breakfast as a teenager raised a subject’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 68 percent. Obesity and high glucose levels while fasting were the most strongly linked conditions to a person’s bad breakfast habits as a teenager.

“Our results and those of several previous studies suggest that a poor breakfast can have a negative effect on blood sugar regulation,” said Maria Wennberg, PhD, a study researcher.

A previous study out of the University of Colorado found that skipping a morning meal seemed to temporarily induce insulin resistance—a known diabetes risk factor—in overweight women.

Take heed, people. Eat something for breakfast—a balanced meal preferably. But even a quick bowl of healthy cereal will do. The meal’s effects could last you the rest of your life.

For tips on building a better breakfast, click here.