In the 1980s, the dropout rate of participants at Kaiser Permanente's obesity clinic in San Diego, California, was about 50%; despite all of the dropouts successfully losing weight under the program. Vincent Felitti, head of Kaiser Permanente's Department of Preventive Medicine in San Diego, conducted interviews with people who had left the program, and discovered that a majority of 286 people he interviewed had experienced childhood sexual abuse. The interview findings suggested to Felitti that weight gain might be a coping mechanism for depression, anxiety, and fear. Felitti and Robert Anda from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) went on to survey childhood trauma experiences of over 17,000 Kaiser Permanente patient volunteers.
'The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity ' By Nadine Burke Harris MD
Center for youth wellness: To improve the health of children and adolescents exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
We All Have A Role in Preventing ACEs Training modules
Seven Early Experiences with Potential Benefits in Adulthood
ACEs and Toxic Stress: Frequently Asked Questions - Harvard Center for Child Development
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