If you have ever been abused, especially as a child, some of the health problems you have such as obesity, diabetes, depression, insomnia and  hypertension may be partially or fully resulting from the abuse.

Past sexual assault was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, arthritis and thyroid disease, Stein and Barrett-Connor found. The study results appear in the November/December issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.    Read more  

Young girls who are sexually abused are more likely to develop eating disorders as adolescents. The findings also add to a growing body of research suggesting that trauma in childhood increases the risk of developing an eating disorder. Abused girls were more dissatisfied with their weight and more likely to diet and purge their food by vomiting or using laxatives and diuretics. Abused girls were also more likely to restrict their eating when they were bored or emotionally upset. Wonderlich suggests that abused girls might experience higher levels of emotional distress, possibly linked to their abuse, and have trouble coping. Food restriction and perhaps other eating disorder behaviors may (reflect) efforts to cope with such experiences. The report also indicates that while girls who were abused were less likely to exhibit perfectionist tendencies (such as making extreme efforts to avoid disappointing others and a need to be 'the best'), they tended to want thinner bodies than girls who had not been abused.   Stephen A. Wonderlich, M.D., et al, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Fargo, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2000;391277-1283.

The symptoms of IBS, which include abdominal pain and bloating, don't appear to result from known structural or biochemical abnormalities. As such, IBS is known as a 'functional' disorder.
According to a report from Canadian researchers, published in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, functional disorders are more common among women, and have been associated with a history of sexual abuse.  Read more 

Numerous physical problems occur with greater frequency among women with sexual assault histories than among women who have not experienced sexual assault. These problems include: diabetes, obesity, arthritis, asthma, recurrent surgeries, chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, back pain, headache, eating disorders, poor reproductive outcomes, digestive problems, and hypertension. Women reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse also report higher rates of numerous problems including venereal disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, surgical evaluation of pelvic pain, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal problems, and neurological problems. Read more