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Background: Weight-based stigmatization is frequent among overweight and obese people. Aim: To determine the association between weight-based stigmatization, psychological stress, cortisol, negative emotions, and eating behavior in a sample of middle-aged women. Material and Methods: Eighty-two women aged 45 ± 8 years, 55% with overweight or obesity, were randomly allocated to watch a video called “Stigma: the human cost of obesity” or a control video about planet earth. The effect of watching either video on calorie consumption, psychological stress and cortisol reactivity was assessed. Cortisol was measured on four salivary samples. Psychological stress and negative emotions were self-reported. Results: Among women who watched the stigmatizing video, there was a direct association between psychological stress and calorie intake, but negative emotions did not mediate this association. Moreover, psychological stress moderated the association between watching the stigmatizing video and the cortisol output (β = 0.32; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Women with high psychological stress have a greater intake of calories. After watching the stigmatizing video, a greater psychological stress is associated with greater cortisol output.

Advances in cardiovascular diseases research have shown that there are differences in social groups, which have been solely explained by biomedical dimensions. Although there have been advances in the biological understanding of these diseases, they do not account for the complexity of the phenomenon. To address this, the introduction of psychosocial variables have shown that they may be useful to understand the manifestations and evolution of these conditions. Thus, gender gaps should not be studied exclusively from a biomedical perspective. This article reviews the explanations about the gender gaps in the expression of acute myocardial infarction based on gender stereotypes, as an alternative to the biomedical approach. Stereotypes can predict different consequences when they are used by health professionals or patients. Finally, alternatives are proposed to reduce the negative results of the gender stereotype activation when an acute myocardial infarction is suffered. Also new development lines in theoretical, methodological and interdisciplinary work are proposed.

Weight stigmatization is defined as the devaluation of others based on weight, a visible and specific characteristic that cannot be hidden. The consequences of weight stigmatization have been studied in victims and healthcare providers. This narrative literature review describes the consequences of weight stigmatization in victims and healthcare practitioners. According to several studies, high levels of psychological dysfunction in victims coexist with negative stereotypes in healthcare professionals, since the latter are exposed to the same negative media messages about obesity. Thus, weight stigmatization contributes to increase the burden of obesity, since when obese patients perceive that they are discriminated by healthcare professionals, their unhealthy behaviors persist and they have a low adherence to obesity treatment and medical recommendations.

Weight stigmatization is defined as the devaluation of others based on weight, a visible and specific characteristic that cannot be hidden. The consequences of weight stigmatization have been studied in victims and healthcare providers. This narrative literature review describes the consequences of weight stigmatization in victims and healthcare practitioners. According to several studies, high levels of psychological dysfunction in victims coexist with negative stereotypes in healthcare professionals, since the latter are exposed to the same negative media messages about obesity. Thus, weight stigmatization contributes to increase the burden of obesity, since when obese patients perceive that they are discriminated by healthcare professionals, their unhealthy behaviors persist and they have a low adherence to obesity treatment and medical recommendations.

La discriminación se presenta en todos los contextos en cualquier etapa de la vida. El objetivo del presente estudio fue explorar la consistencia y estructura interna de la Escala de Discriminación en la Vida Cotidiana (EDVC) en estudiantes de medicina de una universidad de Bucaramanga, Colombia. Se realizó un estudio metodológico en el que participaron 346 estudiantes, en edades entre 18 y 30 años, media para la edad de 20,2 años (DE=1,9); el 59,2%, mujeres; y 58,4%, mestizos. Se calculó alfa de Cronbach y omega de McDonald y se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio con los diez incisos de la EDVC. El alfa de Cronbach fue 0,83 y la omega de McDonald, 084. La estructura interna mostró un único factor que explicó el 41,7% de la varianza total. Se concluye que la EDVC presenta alta consistencia interna y una sola dimensión en estudiantes de medicina de una universidad de Bucaramanga, Colombia. Se necesitan nuevas investigaciones para conocer la consistencia y estructura interna en otras poblaciones. The objective of the study was to explore the internal consistency and structure of the EDS among medical students of a university in Bucaramanga, Colombia. A validation study in which participated 346 students, aged between 18 and 30 years-old, mean age was 20.2 years (SD=1.9); 59.2% were women; and 58.4%, mestizo. Cronbach alpha and McDonald omega were computed; exploratory factor analysis for the ten items of EDS was performed. Cronbach alpha was 0.83 and McDonald omega, 0.84. Internal structure showed a single factor that explained 41.7% of the total variance. As conclusions, EDS has high internal consistency and one dimension in medical students at a university in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Further research is needed to know the internal structure and consistency in other populations.