Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and obesity are strongly associated among adolescents, a recent study found. Researchers used data from the Minnesota Student Survey, a large, statewide, anonymous survey of public school students in eighth, ninth, and eleventh grades (n=105,759). Self-reported height and weight were used to calculated body mass index (BMI) while multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between self-reported ACEs and weight status. Among the findings:

• ACEs were positively associated with weight status.
• Adolescents who reported an ACE were 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5 times as likely to have overweight, obesity, and severe obesity, respectively, compared to adolescents with no ACEs.
• There was no relationship between ACEs and underweight in the study sample.