Child abuse and obesity

Past research has found a reasonably consistent association between various forms of childhood abuse and the development of eating pathology and a number of studies indicate a relationship between childhood abuse and obesity. A study of 121 people in the U.S. seeking surgical treatment for obesity found that 43% of them reported emotional abuse, 39% had witnessed violence, 19% had suffered sexual abuse, 17.4% physical abuse and 9.1% physical neglect.

Sansone, Randy A. ... [et al] - The prevalence of childhood trauma and parental caretaking quality among gastric surgery candidates Eating Disorders March-April 2008, 16(2), 117-127