The NHS ‘soup and shake’ diet programme is successfully beating type 2 diabetes, with almost one third of cases permanently reversed.
This is according to a new study which looked at the data of some 7,540 people who took part in the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme between September 2020 and the end of 2022.
The study showed that 32% of participants had successfully put their condition into remission.
Due to these findings, NHS England have said the programme could benefit ‘thousands’ of people with type 2 diabetes.
Under NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme, eligible participants are provided low-calorie, nutritional diet replacement products. These include soups, shakes and bars consisting of 800 to 900 calories a day for the first 12 weeks.
They are also given access to clinicians and coaches who help to maintain and monitor their weight loss.
Research shows that the programme successfully improves participants’ weight loss and diabetes control. After one month, participants typically lose more than one stone (7.2kg). In three months, they lose an average of 13kg.
‘Life-changing’ impact
Dr Clare Hambling is the NHS national clinical director for diabetes and obesity. She said: ‘The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme can have a huge impact on the lives of participants.
‘It’s brilliant that these findings show a large number of those who completed it have seen life-changing benefits including major weight loss and type 2 diabetes remission.
‘We know obesity is one of the biggest threats to health in the UK and will be one of the biggest and most costly challenges for health systems globally, so seeing such encouraging outcomes from our programme shows that obesity can be tackled head-on, and we’re looking forward to scoping any further expansion to this programme in due course.’
Dr Elizabeth Robertson is director of research at Diabetes UK. She added: ‘Diabetes UK is proud to have funded over a decade of research that has forged new frontiers for people with type 2 diabetes and put remission on the map.
‘These latest findings add to the real world evidence that the NHS England Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme can help thousands of people living with type 2 diabetes on their weight loss and remission journey, which we know is tough and having support is critical.
‘We hope to see even more people benefiting in years to come and an increase in referrals to the programme especially for people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and in younger people where the impact of type 2 diabetes and remission from it is greatest.’
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