CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE, DEPRESSION, AND FAMILY DYSFUNCTION IN ADULT OBESE PATIENTS - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

One hundred significantly overweight patients sequentially applying to a very low calorie diet (VLCD) program were interviewed to learn how the onset of obesity correlated with other life events. By comparison with a control group of 100 always-slender adults, the obese applicant s were found to be different at a highly significant level in the prev alence of childhood sexual abuse, nonsexual childhood abuse, early par ental loss, parental alcoholism, chronic depression, and marital famil y dysfunction in their own adult lives. The obese patients commonly re ported using obesity as a sexually protective device; many reported ov ereating to cope with emotional distress. Inquiry into depression, pas t sexual abuse, and past or present dysfunctional family life should b e added to the current medical evaluation of all obese patients. The r esultant findings are likely to be relevant to their treatment, whethe r for obesity or for other medical conditions.