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Childhood Abuse May Lead to Obesity

By Kate Schwartz,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 17, 2009 7:50 AM CDT

(Newser) – Compounding the mental and physical pain that accompanies childhood abuse, a new study suggests abuse may lead to adult obesity. Researchers studied 410 children who had court-substantiated cases of physical and sexual abuse before the age of 11; 30 years later, their body mass index scores were compared with a control group. Physical abuse sufferers had higher BMI scores; those who had suffered sexual abuse did not, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Researchers believe the former type of abuse may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, triggering an increase in peripheral cortisol, which has been linked with abdominal obesity. More simply, they also suspect that overeating could be a way of dealing with the pain.

Childhood abuse may be linked to obesity.
Childhood abuse may be linked to obesity.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 10 comments
riffran
Oct 18, 2009 9:36 AM CDT
im still waiting on a low fat low carb low sodium chicken fried steak with mashed taters and gravy that doesn't taste like shit
thejoint00
Oct 18, 2009 8:43 AM CDT
first thing to go in the fight agains obseity better be sugary breakfast cereal.
Spudsy
Oct 18, 2009 1:32 AM CDT
Yeah dly, the left has controlled Obesity magazine for some time now. Nothing but drivel from those fat studying leftists. The right needs a similar media outlet. Perhaps Fox can start a magazine, " Fatheads like Rush" . Just so they can put their side out. Paranoid much?

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