Comment by davecort on It’s Probably Not Lithium · 2022-07-07T04:38:53.506Z · LW · GW

I emailed this to SMTM this morning:

Hypothesis: overeating is self-medication for emotional pain

Hi,

I admit I haven't read your entire Chemical Hunger series. I did read the mysteries and the conclusion. And I did a "find on page" for the terms "adverse childhood", "roseto", and "blue zones", and found zero hits.

I recommend watching this 7 minute video by the director of the original ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study. He was originally working on a weight-loss program at Kaiser (HMO). Of note: 55% of the women who were overweight had been sexually abused as a kid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3cCAcGeG8E

And check out the CDC site: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html

A more in-depth talk Dr. Felitti gave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ns8ko9-ljU

And this tribute to him is informative too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q22Zt6aGwsA&t=514s

The Roseto study is eye-opening: https://designed2thrive.org/2022/03/the-roseto-effect-shows-the-extreme-power-of-good-relationships-for-helath-and-wellness.html

As well as the Blue Zones: https://www.bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9/

As you've found, obesity is viral, and the weight of the people around you influence your own weight.

It could be argued that high-altitude locations make it harder for people to come and go, and that increases community connectedness which keeps weights in check.

I think you've stumbled on a lot of correlations, but I believe the cause is emotional pain caused by a reduced feeling of love and belonging in society.

Thanks for listening. ·Dave