In 1985, Dr. Vincent Felitti noticed something strange at his San Diego obesity clinic. The patients who dropped out were the ones losing weight. When he asked why, he uncovered a link between childhood trauma and adult weight gain that grew into the Adverse Childhood Experiences study.
In this episode, Rick explains why the weight can start as a form of protection, and which kinds of help have the strongest track record.
Important points
* Some of Felitti’s patients regained weight after they started getting unwanted attention, because the weight had been helping them feel safe.
* The ACE study followed more than 17,000 adults and linked childhood abuse and neglect to a long list of adult health problems, including obesity.
* Diets that treat weight as a willpower problem skip the most important question, and the shame that follows each failed attempt keeps the cycle going.
* One question to ask with curiosity: “What is this weight protecting me from?”
* For deeper trauma, look for a therapist trained in trauma-focused approaches such as cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure, trauma-focused CBT, or EMDR. If binge eating is part of the picture, ask about CBT for binge eating.
* For lighter wounds and everyday stress, mindfulness practices like Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction can help. If your history is heavy, do this work alongside a therapist.
Your next step
If this episode stirred up something heavy, please reach out to someone you trust or a therapist who works with trauma.
When you’re ready to build the identity that no longer needs the armor, everything Rick teaches is at https://weightlossmindset.co/subscribe.
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