Mediterranean diet and SPA treatment: A healthy association?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In 2014, around 1.9 billion adults over the age of 18 were overweight. In the United States and Europe obesity has become a primary public health problem. Many people who go often to SPAs to perform mud therapy are overweight. The possibility of a dietetic evaluation to follow a dietetic program could be an occasion for both slimming and food education. OBJECTIVES: We have look for a possible cooperation between Mediterranean diet and mudpack treatment in losing weight. METHODS: A 1 week/2 week follow up intervention with a low calories Mediterranean diet combined or not with mudpack treatment. The main outcome measures are weight, BIA (Body Impedence Assessment), waist-hip ratio, abdominal circumference. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The thermal spas are an opportunity to regain a good state of health, undergoing to traditional mudpack treatments, a balanced and low calories diet, physical activity under strict control of a personal Trainer, and relaxing and draining treatments. Most overweight and obese patients have lost weight and fat, and this seems to be due not only to low caloric regimen, but also to the mudpack therapy itself. It will be very important to carry out studies with larger statistical relevance in the future.