I help people discover the root cause of their disease, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes, internal “dis-ease” manifests as obesity rooted in adverse childhood experiences—ACEs.
This is something I’ve seen repeatedly in my decades of work, and it’s proven by the ACE Study.
The most notable health conditions that come up with a high ACE score are “substance-related disorders,” but sometimes people forget that the substance used to cope with childhood trauma can be food, not just drugs or alcohol.
It’s all too common for people suffering from obesity to try—and eventually, abandon—program after program to lose weight. Finally, frustrated, they might conclude that the programs simply don’t work.
However, the thing is that most programs on the market are simply incomplete and take a fragmented approach to weight loss. See, the answer isn’t just diet or just exercise. It isn’t even just resolving ACEs (although I’d say that’s probably the biggest part!).
Any program promising weight loss through exercise or healthy eating alone will never, ever work (especially in the long-term or sustainably) because the underlying trauma is never addressed or resolved at a root level alongside the creation of new, healthy habits.
For many adults suffering from obesity, the root cause of weight gain is unresolved ACEs because food is used as the “substance” of choice to cope.
When adverse childhood experiences go unresolved, food can provide a temporary pressure-relief valve. Sometimes, this way of coping is unconscious because the trauma is repressed and the unhealthy eating habits become so ingrained. Sometimes, we’re very aware of our traumas and their impact on us, yet healthy, sustainable solutions seem too hard, too delayed, or too disruptive.
We need a temporary fix, a quick hit, and food can seem like an easy solution.
The thing is, although it may seem like the easier path on the surface, the toxic stress from unresolved trauma eats you up from the inside out. It wreaks havoc on your body and mind and makes everything more painful, whether you realize it or not.
Dr. Vincent Felitti, the Co-Principal Investigator of the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, and I collaborated for decades with groups and individual patients, including thousands suffering from obesity. The link between a high ACE score and obesity was undeniable.
Dr. Felitti (left), Dr. Ray (right)
In March 2020, Dr. Felitti and I teamed up with Relish Life to offer a comprehensive weight loss program that integrates the science of ACEs, and it’s an ideal solution for those suffering from obesity who have a high ACE score. The Relish Life program offers a root-cause approach to weight loss that combines the best of psychology, behavioral health, holistic wellness, fitness, nutrition, medication, technology, and more to help people lose weight and keep it off.
Dr. Felitti is an advisor for Relish Life and I’m the Chief Behavioral Officer. Dr. Al Ray, who worked intimately with the ACE Study for over two decades at Kaiser Permanente, is Relish Life’s Chief Medical Officer.
The world needs Relish Life now more than ever.
Obesity rates were on the rise long before the pandemic, but the pandemic has created an uptick in childhood obesity. According to the CDC, the US obesity prevalence was 42.4% in 2017-2018. Obesity-related conditions—including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer—are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death. The medical cost for people with obesity is $1,429 higher on a yearly basis, not to mention the toll obesity can take on one’s ability to live a happy, healthy, and truly fulfilling life.
And that’s priceless.
Relish Life solves the root neurological and physiological issues that cause obesity using a personalized and comprehensive approach. The program includes:
- An initial call with a telehealth doctor
- Unlimited access to a dedicated doctor and monthly check-ins
- An automatically delivered personalized medication plan
- An initial membership 1:1 orientation and personal strategy session with a health coach
- Unlimited email access and weekly check-ins with a health coach
- Weekly small group counseling and mindfulness sessions
- Daily inspiration, meditations, tips, and tools from Elisa, a friendly chatbot
- Access to a members-only educational portal with a resource library full of mindfulness, hypnotherapy, fitness, and nutrition programs
- A mobile app for even more access to the treatment team and resources (coming soon!)
If you suffer from obesity, we encourage you to look deeper.
See beyond the reflection in the mirror and instead look inward. Turn to your ACE score to find the inner weight—the heavy, unresolved traumas—that could be leading you to use food to cope.
If you think Relish Life is a good fit for you or someone you love, click here and be sure to use code “PACES25” for 25% off at checkout.
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