Long term effect of spa therapy combined with patient education program on subjects with overweight and obesity — A controlled study

Abstract The aim of this single center prospective controlled study in volunteers with obesity and overweight was to evaluate the effect of a patient therapeutic education program (PTE group) combined with spa therapy on weight, physical activity, eating habits and quality of life versus spa therapy alone (control group). The main endpoint was weight change at 5 months after the end of the program. The PTE group of 151 subjects with obesity or overweight followed a 3-week program combining patient education with spa therapy and 189 attended a course of spa therapy alone. At 5 months significant loss was observed in the PTE group compared to controls (−2.69 kg vs −1.24 kg, p = 0.008), a relative weight loss of −2.8% vs −1.3%. At 11 months after spa therapy, only the PTE group maintained a weight loss in addition to the weight loss obtained during spa therapy. The control group returned to the weight they had at the end of spa therapy. In both groups, a significant increase in physical activity was observed at 5 (p  In conclusion, while spa therapy alone initiated positive changes in weight loss, physical activity and some quality of life parameters, the PTE program enhanced this effect.