This year, pilot research in the province of Alicante will involve between 50 and 60 people who are obese and at risk of losing muscle. The goal is to improve their quality of life. The University of Alicante (UA), along with the San Vicente del Raspeig Health Centres, the Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (Isabial), the Isabel I University of Castile, the Cardenal Herrera CEU University of Elche, the University of Burgos, and the Diego Portales University (Chile), a leader in this field, are behind a research project that will evaluate the physical condition and limitations of those suffering from pre-sarcopenic obesity.
Starting on February 2nd, they will start looking for patients aged 45 to 64 who are overweight, have trouble doing strength exercises, and can go to study activities on their own or with a family member. These patients will come from the San Vicente del Raspeig health centres (San Vicente I and II).
The researchers decided to start with a strategic area with fewer people so they could do a bigger project later. According to the ENE-COVID survey, 19.5% of people in the province of Alicante are obese and 36% are overweight. According to data from the most recent National Health Survey, these numbers are higher above the national average for obesity.
Two out of ten people in Alicante are currently obese.
Manuel Reig García Galbis is in charge of the project, which will look at people’s sleep patterns and physical fitness. It will also look at how different health factors are related to each other, like body composition, how dependent a person is, blood pressure, phase angle, following the Mediterranean lifestyle, and certain biochemical indicators. It will also look at patient characteristics, including sociodemographic factors like income and education level.
There will be five groups of participants: one control group and four intervention groups, each with 10 to 12 persons. The research is set to commence in April and conclude in June.
Training
The research seeks to create a basis for the utilisation of digital technologies in the holistic management of pre-sarcopenic obesity, enhance their implementation in primary care, and elevate the quality of life of participants. To achieve this, patients will have access to educational materials organised into six learning units that cover overweight and obesity, groups that are at risk of being socially excluded, non-communicable diseases and the Mediterranean lifestyle, physical activity, exercise and sleep, the formation of healthy habits, and multidisciplinary interventions as a key part of treatment. There will be a separate classroom for each patient group to help them do the right things during the intervention.
One afternoon a week, there will be group workshops that mix theory and practice. These workshops will focus on lifestyle and sticking to healthy habits to make life better. This kind of intervention will help with behaviour because it will reinforce what is taught in the online classroom.
The nutritional intervention will consist of a set menu for ten weeks, supplemented by additional advice to assist patients in integrating these modifications into their everyday routines.
The workout plan will include both strength training and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. The University of Alicante gym will provide strength training sessions two days a week, while patients will do cardiovascular activity on their own two or three other days a week.
Author: Derek Appleton
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