The practice of strategies for rapid weight loss (RWL) involve diverse factors, such as individual expectations, social interactions, structural elements, etc., conforming to a “culture” of RWL, which must be evaluated and understood in a broad sense. Based on the need of a comprehensive evaluation of the use of RWL in practitioners of combat sports, an ad hoc questionnaire designed for this study, which includes the types and detailed descriptions of RWL strategies, that athletes currently use, the prevalence and frequency of use, the physiological and psychological consequences, the perception of the effect of RWL on their own performance and finally, the individuals who influence the adoption of this practice. One hundred and sixty combat athletes from wrestling and taekwondo disciplines, from Mexico, filled out this questionnaire. Data collected for their statistical analyses. Results revealed a RWL strategies prevalence of 96% across the participants. Our results revealed that 57% of those athletes using RWL lose more than 5% of their body mass. Across the athletes, the most commonly used RWL strategies and with higher intensity were increased exercise and training with plastic or thick clothes. The greater the relative weight loss, the greater the presence of physiological symptoms in athletes, such as rapid breathing and blood pressure. Athletes also mentioned mood states such as tiredness, sadness, confusion, fatigue and vigor, these last two positive and negative mood states are associated with the relative weight loss, respectively. Finally, the people who most influenced the adoption of RWL strategies were the coaches, parents and nutritionists. In conclusion, the questionnaire prepared for this study allowed us to obtain valuable information about the several factors, and their interactions, involved in the practice of RWL in combat athletes. This type of practice could increase health risks and decrease their performance. Therefore, here we state the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of RWL strategies that allows the development of psycho-educational and social-based interventions and programs for the promotion of proper weight maintenance, and prevention against RWL strategies, involving the individuals who influence the adoption of these practices and supporting it with the help of communication technologies.

Resumen El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la relación entre el estrés percibido y la felicidad en adultos mexicanos, así como comparar ambas variables según el estado de salud-enfermedad. La muestra estuvo conformada por 762 adultos mexicanos con una media de edad de 44.96 años, de los cuales el 70.3 % reportó no padecer ninguna enfermedad. Se utilizó la Escala de Estrés Percibido y el Inventario de Felicidad Auténtica. Adicionalmente, los participantes reportaron si padecían alguna enfermedad y seleccionaron, posteriormente, en una lista de opciones. Mediante el SPSS v.24 se realizaron análisis de frecuencias, descriptivos, análisis de correlación y análisis de varianza de un factor. En los resultados se observó una correlación negativa y estadísticamente significativa entre el estrés percibido y la felicidad. Por su parte, solo se observaron diferencias significativas en la subescala de estrés percibido "sobre-pasado por la situación"; fue mayor en el grupo de personas con una enfermedad aguda en comparación con el grupo de personas sanas. Se discuten los principales hallazgos, así como las implicaciones para la práctica psicológica.