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FOOD
A chance to soup and shake away T2D
A successful NHS soup and shake diet
is being offered to more and more
people across the country as a way
of achieving remission from T2D. So
far 2,000 people with Type 2 diabetes
have benefitted from the diet as part
of the DiRECT - Diabetes Remission
Clinical Trial.
This group all aged over 18 and
with minimum BMIs of 25, lost an
average of 7.2kg each (over one stone)
in the first month of the programme.
After three months, the weight loss
increased to around 13.4kg (over
two stones), and the early results
show people did not regain the
weight. Results from the DiRECT
study showed remission from T2D is
closely tied to weight loss and almost
half of people who lost weight in the
DiRECT trial were in remission after
one year.
The programme involves people
with T2D being given low-calorie
soup and shakes as total diet
replacement products for three
months. They are then supported
to reintroduce foods that are part
of a healthy, balanced diet while
maintaining their weight loss, and
invited to virtual meetings with
expert clinicians and group sessions
with other people with Type 2
diabetes.
Alongside making changes to
their diet, people taking part in
the programme are also supported
to increase their exercise levels.
Volunteers in the DiRECT study will
be tracked for the next seven years
to see if they are able to maintain the
lifestyle change.
The programme is already
available in the following areas: South
Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, Humber
Coast and Vale, Greater Manchester,
Frimley, Gloucestershire, Derbyshire,
Birmingham and Solihull,
Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton
Keynes, North East London, North
Central London.
It is being rolled out in the
following additional locations over
the course of 2022; North East &
North Cumbria, West Yorkshire,
Lancashire & South Cumbria,
Nottingham & Nottinghamshire,
Black Country, Somerset,
Bristol, North Somerset & South
Gloucestershire, Mid & South Essex,
South West London, Kent & Medway,
Sussex.
The charity Diabetes UK is
supporting the research and is also
funding a new trial called ReTUNE, to
see if a similar approach to remission
could be effective in people with
a lower bodyweight, which has
reported promising early results.
www.diabetes.org.uk