We assessed the relationships between lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) in middle and old-aged women and dietary habits, especially in their youth (about 18-25 years) and physiologic factors (height, weight, menarche, menopause, etc.). The subjects were 90 women at age 45-87 [63.5±9.5 (mean±SD) years] who visited our outpatient clinic of osteoporosis. Of them, 83 women had already ceased menstruation. Quantitave computed tomography (QCT) was used for measurements of the BMD of the trabecular bone in the third lumber vertebra (L3 expressed in mg/cm³ of CaCO₃), where pronounced changes associated with osteoporosis occur early.
There were significant negative correlations between age or menarcheal age and BMD of L3. Significant positive correlations were found between height or weight at the present and L3, but there was no correlation between body mass index (BMI) and L3. Significant positive correlations were noted between the values subtracted height at the present from height in the youth and L3. There were no correlations between frequency of pregnancy and delivery or outdoor life hour and L3. High milk-consumers in their youth (milk-drinking≥5 days per week) had higher L3 than low milk-consumers (milk-drinking≤2 days per week), and women, who had ate small fish 3 days or more per week in their youth, showed significantly higher L3 than thoes who had 2 days or less per week. We concluded that there are negative correlations between age or menarcheal age and L3 and positive correlations between height or weight and L3, and that low intake of milk and small fish in the youth may influence BMD in later years, leading to osteoporosis.

  We report here on the current situation, regulations by law, and education of spa therapy and massage in France, as determined through a survey study on massage conducted by our university in France between March 19 and 28, 2012. Spa therapy is one of France natural therapies and means‘health through water’in Latin. It includes balneotherapy (le thermalisme) using thermal spring water, thalassotherapy (la thalassothérapie) using sea water, and hydrotherapy (la balnéothérapie) using water. At present in France, there are 105 balneotherapy centers (Thermés) at 89 sites with thermal spring water, located mainly in mountainous regions. National medical insurance can be used for 18-day balneotherapy treatment of 12 symptoms, provided as a 3-week stay (excluding Sundays) in sites with thermal spring water. Thalassotherapy, on the other hand, is currently regarded as a form of relaxation. Balneotherapy and thalassotherapy both include bathing with jets, showers (douche), exercise in the pool, mud therapy (mud pack and wrapping), and massage among other treatments, but there are differences between the two: balneotherapy uses thermal spring water while thalassotherapy uses sea water; the aim of balneotherapy is to treat or prevent disease while that of thalassotherapy is to promote well-being (relaxation); subjects for balneotherapy are patients, whereas those for thalassotherapy are generally healthy people.   The term‘massage’in France refers only to massage provided in medical practice, by massage therapists (masseur-kinesithérapeute) who hold a national massage therapy license. The treatment they provide is covered by national medical insurance. They work in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and balneotherapy centers and can run their own massage clinics. In contrast, the term‘relaxation massage’(praticien bien-être), which refers to massage for well-being and is never called “massage” in order to distinguish it from medical massage, is not regulated by law. There is a self-regulatory body, that issues licenses for aestheticians, Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle (CAP). Their practice is known as modelage. The balneotherapy centers we visited employed licensed masseur-kinesithérapeutes, hydrotherapists who received 600 hours of training, and assistants with no licenses. The thalassotherapy centers mainly employed estheticians with CAP.