Difficult times and difficult life experiences can be traumatic.
It may be good to start by acknowledging that trauma and difficult times are stressful and outside of your control. This is important, particularly as trauma and weight difficulties are so strongly associated with self-blame and feelings of shame and guilt.
Trauma has been linked to weight management difficulties, due to behaviours that affect healthy weight, particularly for adults who have experienced trauma in their childhood.
If this sounds familiar, the first step in your healthy weight journey may be to identify the support that you need.
Defining trauma and how it impacts on you
Trauma means different things to different people. Trauma can be perceived as experiencing difficult times, it can result from a life event or several events that you may have found disturbing emotionally or life-threatening. Trauma may have had lasting effects on your ability to function every day, as well as on your physical, social, emotional, and mental well-being.
Trauma in childhood
Trauma in childhood leads to increased stress which can affect mental, emotional and social development. The more stress experienced from trauma, the greater the risk of developing overweight and obesity, due to the activation of the stress system.
Living with overweight or obesity may have increased risks of being teased or bullied, which may have led you to feeling unhappy with yourself and your appearance, and with feelings of low self-worth. It can also lead to feeling isolated from others, due to a lack of friendships and support, often as a result of feeling unable to trust people.
Examples of trauma and difficult times can include:
- physical, sexual and emotional abuse
- neglect in childhood
- parent or caregiver living with alcohol and/or drug abuse
- parent or caregiver living with mental ill health
- witnessing domestic violence
- poverty (this can lead to fear of running out of food)
- being stigmatised about weight (weight discrimination, bullying)
- racism or oppression
- violence in the community, exposure to terrorism or war
- sudden separation from a loved one through death or suicide
- being brought up in areas with less access and opportunities for healthy eating, physical activity, safe places, education, etc.
- diagnosis of health conditions (e.g., cancer) or being in intensive care due to, for example, sepsis or Covid-19
These are only examples – remember it is about what affected you and identifying the next steps that are right for you at this time.
Ask yourself is the first step in my healthy weight journey to identify the support I need?
Credit
Dr Meryl James - Clinical Psychologist, Psychology Lead Weight Management, Hywel Dda UHB.
Continue your journey
Click on the next page The link between trauma and weight to continue your journey.
