Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Onset of Overweight/Obesity

The goal of this chapter was to summarize the literature on childhood adversity and obesity, discuss treatment implications with a case example, and provide recommendations for trauma-informed care for clinicians who work with individuals living with obesity.

Adversity in childhood is related directly and indirectly to obesity development. Upstream contributors like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other factors can lead to experiences of toxic stress and increased allostatic load, resulting in downstream effects of obesity and other chronic health conditions. A well-established literature has linked ACEs and obesity suggesting complex interactions between genetic, biological, behavioral, mental health, social, and environmental factors and obesity. Trauma-informed care strategies can be used to optimize care for individuals living with obesity. Care pathways should include individual (clinician) and systemic (organizational) evidence-based interventions.