A recent study has stated that women gone through physical abuse during childhood are more inclined towards obesity.
The researchers from the University of Toronto indicate that women who have undergone physical abuse in childhood were a bit more likely to become obese than women coming from non-abusive atmosphere.
Lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Professor and Sandra Rotman Endowed Chair in the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work said, “After adjusting for age and race, childhood physical abuse was associated with 47% higher odds of obesity for women”
“Among men, obesity wasn’t associated with childhood physical abuse,” said the researcher..
“We had anticipated that the association between childhood physical abuse and obesity among women would be explained by factors including depression and anxiety, adult socio-economic position, alcohol abuse, and other childhood adversities, such as having a parent addicted to drugs or alcohol,” added the study co-author and doctoral student Deborah Sinclair.
She further added “However, even after taking into account all these factors, women from physically abusive families still had 35 per cent higher odds of obesity”.
The reason for the relationship between childhood physical abuse and women’s obesity could not be determined by the study.
“It is unclear why childhood physical abuse is associated with adult obesity among women but not men; it may reflect gender differences in coping mechanisms,” study co-author and doctoral candidate Sarah Brennenstuhl, said.
