[Association between weight-based stigmatization psychological stress and calorie intake]

Abstract

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.