Women experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to develop symptoms of food addiction, a new study suggests.

The researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis looked into 49,408 female nurses from 14 different states between ages of 25 to 42.

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The participants were asked if they had experienced traumatic events like miscarriage or stillbirth, child abuse, or violent deaths in the family and whether they have experienced symptoms of PTSD. Then they were asked if they had symptoms of food addiction.

About four out of five participants reported experiencing traumatic experiences during their lives. Two-thirds of the women suffered from at least one lifelong PTSD symptom.

Among the participants, about 18 percent who presented six to seven PTSD symptoms had food addiction symptoms compared to the six percent who reported not having experienced symptoms of PTSD during their lifetime.

Although the researchers did not ask whether the participants were diagnosed with PTSD, they have concluded that women with four more symptoms may qualify for the condition.

The link between both conditions is also strongest among women who reported experiencing PTSD symptoms before the age of 10.

The findings don't necessarily create a direct link between PTSD and food addiction or vice-versa, but it may shed new light on the relationship between the mental health condition emerging from traumatic life events and obesity, the researchers suggests.

Susan Mason, the leading author of the study, emphasized that the research could help explain the complex history of eating disorders.

She added that through the study, doctors would understand that PTSD may be causing obesity and thus enables them to provide better treatment options. 

Weight problems are not just the result of lack of willpower or education, Mason added. It's so much an issue of psychological tendencies too, she said.

The study was published last week in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. 

TagsPTSD, food addiction, obesity, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder