Obesity as a "Shield" Against Childhood Trauma?

This report from the blog PsychCentral talks about something that, on the face of it, would seem to be common sense -- a link between childhood physical and/or sexual abuse and obesity.

In addition to the overeating that leads to obesity, the article also discusses possible links between early abuse and the development of other eating disorders.

While the whole article is fascinating, what I found most helpful for purposes of this blog is that the author discusses why traditional weight-loss tips may not be helpful to people who have become obese as a "shield" against either further trauma or against the feelings brought on by the trauma.

She then goes on to list 6 tips for healing from both the effects and the causes of trauma-induced obesity. As part of the list she includes these three links to articles on avoiding emotional eating, 3 Principles of Mindful Emotional Eating, and 10 Skill-Sets of Mindful Emotional Eating.

No one who has suffered the trauma of abuse deserves to have to deal with unwanted obesity or other eating disorders as well. If you see yourself in this article, I hope you'll find the offered tips and resources helpful. I do know that I plan on checking into them further.

Shield photo courtesy of Craftsman1 via Flickr.