Food and nutrition are crucial in shaping brain health and mental well-being. Recent research has begun to unravel the intricate connections between healthy behaviours and cognitive function, shedding light on the factors that profoundly impact our brain and mental health. Early childhood stress, nutrition, and healthy behaviours are inextricably intertwined. It is well established that childhood adversity, also known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are associated with a wide range of adverse health conditions over the life course.
A positive association between ACE and adult obesity has been observed, with a 46% increase in the odds of adult obesity following exposure to multiple ACEs (Wiss and Brewerton, 2020). To understand further the link between nutrition and cognition and brain function, our lab published a systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the impacts of free and added sugars on human cognition in healthy participants, identifying 77 studies. The findings indicate a significant positive correlation between added sugar consumption and the risk of cognitive impairment, while natural fructose-containing foods are associated with a reduced risk (Gillespie et al., 2023). My presentation will focus on the pathways that lead from childhood adversity to adult obesity and proposed strategies to improve health outcomes. The focus will be on how to reduce childhood exposure to ACEs, improve screening and detection of ACES, better access to ACE/trauma-informed care, and improve the social environment to allow the opportunity for people to choose healthier behaviours.