Childhood Trauma Link to Obesity w/ Senior Researcher Ladan Hashemi: 14th January 2025

A study published this week in the European Journal of Public Health has revealed 87% of children in Aotearoa have experienced significant trauma before the age of 8, which is much more than previously thought.

The study observed the effects of 8 kinds of traumatic childhood experiences, and found there can be a link between childhood trauma and obesity. It was also revealed that positive experiences can mitigate the effects of trauma.

Producer Athena spoke to Senior Researcher at City University of London and Honorary Researcher at the University of Auckland, Ladan Hashemi, about the effects of childhood trauma, its links to obesity, and ways to prevent and mitigate its effects.