SCIENCE, HEALTH

The Link Between ACEs and Obesity

I help people discover the root cause of their disease, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes, internal “dis-ease” manifests as obesity, and this obesity is often rooted in adverse childhood experiences—ACEs.

This is something I’ve seen repeatedly in my decades of work, and it’s proven by the ACE Study.

The most notable health conditions that come up with a high ACE score are “substance-related disorders,” but sometimes people forget that the substance used to cope with childhood trauma can be food, not just drugs or alcohol. 

It’s all too common for people suffering from obesity to try—and eventually, abandon—program after program to lose weight. Finally, frustrated, they might conclude that the programs simply don’t work.

However, the thing is that most programs on the market are simply incomplete and take a fragmented approach to weight loss. See, the answer isn’t just diet or just exercise. It isn’t even just resolving ACEs (although I’d say that’s probably the biggest part!). 

Any program promising weight loss through exercise or healthy eating alone will never, ever work (especially in the long-term or sustainably) because the underlying trauma is never addressed or resolved at a root level alongside the creation of new, healthy habits. 

For many adults suffering from obesity, the root cause of weight gain is unresolved ACEs because food is used as the “substance” of choice to cope.

When adverse childhood experiences go unresolved, food can provide a temporary pressure-relief valve. Sometimes, this way of coping is unconscious because the trauma is repressed and the unhealthy eating habits become so ingrained. Sometimes, we’re very aware of our traumas and their impact on us, yet healthy, sustainable solutions seem too hard, too delayed, or too disruptive. 

We need a temporary fix, a quick hit, and food can seem like an easy solution.

The thing is, although it may seem like the easier path on the surface, the toxic stress from unresolved trauma eats you up from the inside out. It wreaks havoc on your body and mind and makes everything more painful, whether you realize it or not.

Dr. Vincent Felitti, the Co-Principal Investigator of the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, and I collaborated for decades with groups and individual patients, including thousands suffering from obesity. The link between a high ACE score and obesity was undeniable.

The world needs Relish Life now more than ever.

Obesity rates were on the rise long before the pandemic, but the pandemic has created an uptick in childhood obesity. According to the CDC, the US obesity prevalence was 42.4% in 2017-2018. Obesity-related conditions—including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer—are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death. The medical cost for people with obesity is $1,429 higher on a yearly basis, not to mention the toll obesity can take on one’s ability to live a happy, healthy, and truly fulfilling life.

And that’s priceless.

If you suffer from obesity, we encourage you to look deeper.

See beyond the reflection in the mirror and instead look inward. Turn to your ACE score to find the inner weight- the heavy, unresolved traumas- that could be leading you to use food to cope.

Losing weight can be a tough and vulnerable journey. We’re here to help you through! We have plenty of free resources that you can tap into- in our free Facebook group, blogs and newsletters. If you’re ready to take the next step, join us on the other side and start Relishing Life.

No one knows the importance of getting down to the root cause of weight loss better than world-renowned expert Dr. Alman. With a Ph.D. in Psychology. He uses meditation, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, and clinically proven mindfulness techniques to help heal from the trauma and stress that leads to emotional eating and an unhealthy relationship with food.

Dr. Alman is powerfully endorsed by Deepak Chopra, Kaiser’s Positive Choice Weight Loss Clinic, and Dr. Phil. He frequently appears on major TV networks and online educational platforms and has helped people worldwide lose weight and keep it off by addressing the root cause of their struggle with weight. Dr. Alman and his team of professional therapists are a crucial ingredient of the secret sauce that makes our program work long-term. After all, sustainable and lasting weight loss starts with a healthy mind, so psychological guidance from a seasoned pro is paramount.