![Childhood can cast a long shadow when it comes to health.](https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/sites/default/files/styles/teaser_list_thumbnail_large/public/title_images/pic_0.jpg?itok=9uPec-2o)
The idea that childhood trauma and adversity can become embedded in the body and shape one's health decades later is not new. But a recent study throws the idea into stark relief: Even when psychological distress disappears by adulthood, the elevated risk of chronic disease remains.