Adverse childhood events are associated with obesity and disordered eating: results from a U.S. population-based survey of young adults.

The authors investigated the relationship between childhood abuse and obesity in young adulthood (M age = 22) in a large, U.S. representative sample (N = 15,197). Controlling for demographics and depression, men with a history of childhood sexual abuse were at increased risk of overweight and obesity. No association between childhood abuse and obesity or overweight was observed for women in this sample. Higher percentages of skipping meals to lose weight and problematic eating were observed among women with a history of physical abuse. This is the first study to note an association between childhood abuse with obesity and problematic weight management behaviors in a sample of young adults.