Childhood Sexual Abuse in Relation to Obesity in Adulthood

Childhood Sexual Abuse in Relation to Obesity in Adulthood

Katelyn Annis

University of Guelph

November 10th 2014

It has been discussed between UN members that many countries can serve as excellent exemplars for reduction of infectious diseases, injuries, and some of the risk factors of non-communicable diseases but not for the inexorable rise in obesity (Swinburn, Saccks, Hall, McPherson, Finegood, Moodie & Gortmaker, 2011). With evidence of such a global epidemic, it deems necessary to look further into the topic of obesity and consider childhood ascendance an aspect of weight gain. Unfortunately for some individuals, if their childhood history consisted of sexual abuse it is apparent that they have experienced a greater emotional toll than the majority of children. Heeding the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse, the psychological issues emerging from emotional trauma, and the physical adaptive function developed by victims, the relation between sexual abuse and obesity seems feasible. Essentially, individuals who were sexually abused as a child have an increased chance of becoming obese later in their lives.

Sadly, on a global scale, the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is appallingly. Two meta-analyses in recent years consistently showed CSA prevalence of 18–20 % for women and 8 % for men worldwide (Barth, Bermetz, Heim, Trelle & Tonia, 2012). Ideally, this study and those similar would present the world with a consensus on the exact prevalence of CSA. Yet, with various methodologies of research and debates on the definition of sexual abuse the interpretation of CSA findings becomes difficult (Gustafson & Sarwer, 2004).  While childhood sexual abuse is not equally found nation to nation, the outcome being emotional distress is universal. It has been found in clinical and non-clinical populations that a history of sexual abuse is associated with high rates of psychological problems (Bhandari, Winter, Messer & Metcalfe, 2011). However, it is important to consider that psychological outcomes vary with the age of the abused and whether the abuse involved the use of force (Perez-Fuetes, Olfson, Villegas, Morcillo, Wang & Bianco, 2013). Seeing the percentage of our world affected by CSA, it is probable the some of psychological issues emerging from the abused are those that also motivate weight gain. Some psychological concerns resulting from CSA that contribute to obesity later in life are depression, severe stress and binge eating disorder.    

It was suggested years ago after a meta-analysis of 53 different studies of the relationship between CSA and eating disorders that a small positive relationship existed between the two (Gusafson & Sarwer, 2004). With the subject of interest being weight gain; the eating disorder to consider in relation to CSA is binge eating disorder. It is suggested through the strong relationship that binge-eating disorder contributes to not only the development of weight gain but also to the maintenance of obesity (Gustafoson & Sarwer 2004).  With obesity becoming such a growing concern, highlighting CSA as a possible motivator of binge eating is necessary to achieve a better understanding on how sexual abuse and weight gain are correlated. A study in 2011 interviewed 27 individuals who were at the time receiving treatment for eating disorder: the study found that 8 of the individuals discussed the event that transitioned them to develop their disorder being a traumatic event such as sexual abuse or assault (Berge, Loth, Hanson, Croll-Lampert & Neumark-Sztainer, 2011). Although this study only considers a small population of those affected by eating disorders, it is evident that that CSA can be a transitional event that leads to one developing an eating disorder. The existence of this relation means for those who develop a binge eating disorder, which involves the over consumption of food, will experience seemingly uncontrollable weight gain.