Authors:

Omar Velasco

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email: ovelasco@uab.edu *PI: lwilkinson@uab.edu Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring before age 18, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction [1]. Exposure to ACEs has been linked to long-term health outcomes such as obesity, depression, and chronic disease [2]. This study examined the association between ACE exposure and obesity among young adults aged 18-24 using data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The analytic sample included 8,621 respondents representing approximately 13,121,538 young adults in the United States. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to assess relationships between specific ACE categories and obesity. Results indicated that all ACE categories were significantly associated with obesity (p < 0.05). The highest prevalence of obesity was observed among individuals reporting sexual abuse (15.4%), being forced to touch a parent or guardian (10.2%), and experiencing unwanted touching by a parent or guardian (9.4%), while other ACE categories ranged from 5.2% to 8.7%. The relationship between ACE exposure and obesity may be explained by biological stress pathways. Chronic exposure to early-life stress can dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary—adrenal (HPA) axis and activate immunoinflammatory responses, leading to sustained cortisol imbalance and long-term alterations in metabolic regulation [3]. These physiological changes may contribute to increased visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Emerging research also suggests that depression and obesity share overlapping biological mechanisms, including HPA axis dysregulation and inflammation, potentially positioning depression as a mediator linking childhood adversity to later metabolic risk. These findings highlight the importance of trauma-informed healthcare, early resilience-building strategies, and routine ACE screening in clinical practice to reduce long-term cardiometabolic risk among individuals exposed to early-life adversity.

Source:

University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Co-authors:

Omar Velasco