Stressed women more likely to develop obesity

“This is important work because women are living longer and are more at risk for chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease,” Albert said. “The potential public health impact is large, as obesity is related to increased risks of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer, and contributes to spiraling healthcare costs.”

Albert and co-authors found that women who reported more than one traumatic life event compared with none at all saw an 11 percent increased risk of developing obesity. The same was true for negative life events, with women who said they’d experienced four or more negative events over the past five years seeing a 36 percent increased risk of obesity.