A national drive to reduce type 2 diabetes rates was being launched in England today with a programme of free “soups and shakes.”
5,000 people are expected to take part in ten areas, receiving free healthy shakes and soups for free months as a “total replacement” for their existing diet.
Trials have found that up to 50% of participants in the scheme could achieve remission from type 2 diabetes within a year, NHS England said.
Participants will also be encouraged to increase levels of exercise and to maintain a healthy diet once the free soups and shakes come to an end.
The project will be run in some extensive areas, such as Great Manchester, Birmingham and Solihull and two parts of London.
The NHS national clinical director for diabetes and obesity Professor Jonathan Valabhji said: “This is the latest example of how the NHS, through our Long Term Plan, is rapidly adopting the latest evidence-based treatments to help people stay well, maintain a healthy weight and avoid major diseases.
“There has never been a more important time for people to lose weight and put their Type 2 diabetes into remission, so it’s good news for thousands of people across the country that practical, supportive measures like this are increasingly available on the NHS.”
Bridget Turner, from Diabetes UK, said: “This is an important first step to ensure that people with type 2 diabetes, can access a remission programme within the NHS and benefit from the ground-breaking findings of the Diabetes UK funded DiRECT research.
“We know that some people with type 2 diabetes want and need support from health care professionals to lose weight effectively and now as these programmes are piloted across the NHS – they will.
“People with type 2 diabetes who have put their diabetes into remission frequently tell us how it has changed their lives. We are so pleased to see that others will now have the same opportunity and hope that it won’t be too long before more remission programmes are rolled out across the country.”
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