I am sure there are some morbidly obese people who had wonderful childhoods, but I am not one of them. I took note of a report about "ACEs"--adverse childhood experiences-- and their relationship to adult health. Give yourself a point for each one of the 7 categories of adverse childhood experiences studied: 1. psychological abuse. 2. physical abuse. 3. sexual abuse. 4. Violence against mother. 5. living with household members who were substance abusers. 6. Living with someone who was mentally ill or suicidal. And 7. Living with someone who was ever imprisoned. The more points on the ACE test, the worse adult health risk behaviors and diseases were. Those with a score of 4 or higher (compared with those with a 0 score) had 4- to 12-fold increased health risks for alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, and suicide attempt; a 2- to 4-fold increase in smoking, poor self-rated health, ≥50 sexual intercourse partners, and sexually transmitted disease; and a 1.4- to 1.6-fold increase in physical inactivity and morbid obesity. The higher the score, the greater the risk of adult diseases including heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, skeletal fractures, and liver disease. The overall findings don't surprise me, except for cancer, but the magnitude of the increase is higher than I would have guessed. My ACE score is 6, so I guess I am lucky that I have only morbid obesity and a few of the other health effects to report. I am glad this connection to adult health is being studied. Does it absolve me of any responsibility for my health status? No, but it makes me realize the gift you give your children by giving them a score of 0 on the ACE test.
Adverse experiences in childhood and obesity
- Thread starter KathrynK
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I did pretty good then. Only a 2 out of 7.
ACE was not as much a factor for me as learning portion control. Hard to do when you are told from a VERY early age to clean your plate and eat everything you put on your plate.
But even that took some personal therapy to resolve.
duh_Mom
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the post @KathrynK - I would come in at a 6 also - I would also be interested in the study behind this report. Do you mind to post the link?
Can't say I gave my kids a 0 - especially if you consider using food as an addiction substance. But I did the best I could do at the time. I was about 35 when I decided I was finally old enought to be a parent - trouble was my daughter was already 19 at the time.
Can't say I gave my kids a 0 - especially if you consider using food as an addiction substance. But I did the best I could do at the time. I was about 35 when I decided I was finally old enought to be a parent - trouble was my daughter was already 19 at the time.
Duh-Mom, so true that like you I did the best I could with my kids. My parents' ability to parent was based on their parents, and probably their grandparents. I made up my mind that the abuse would stop with me, but you are right about my food substance abuse. Just having the DS will hopefully lower the risks of some of these leading causes of death that were based on my childhood, I hope.
As for the link, there are a number of reports related to this study, but this is the one I read:
Abstract: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(98)00017-8/abstract
Full text: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(98)00017-8/pdf
Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
As for the link, there are a number of reports related to this study, but this is the one I read:
Abstract: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(98)00017-8/abstract
Full text: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(98)00017-8/pdf
Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
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