A diet of soups and shakes offered by the NHS can help people with type 2 diabetes put their disease “into remission”, experts have found. Researchers say the eating plan, combined with a lifestyle programme, can help sufferers lose a “significant” amount of weight.
They found that almost one in three people went into remission of type 2 diabetes. The study, published in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, examined the results of a 12-month program to improve the health of people with the disease.
As part of the plan, participants will replace their usual meals with a low-calorie “meal replacement” diet of soups, shakes and bars for the first 12 weeks. After being introduced to Kickstart, participants will then be asked to eat healthy foods again and will also receive support to maintain their weight.
According to NHS England, the newspaper noted that the Type 2 Diabetes Pathway to Remission programme could help “thousands” of people with the disease. Earlier this year, it was announced that the initiative would be rolled out across England this year, doubling the programme’s capacity.
For the new report, researchers examined data from 7,540 people who participated in the program between September 2020 and the end of 2022. Of these, around 945 completed the entire program year and provided blood samples.
They found that 32% of participants in this group experienced remission of diabetes. They achieved an average weight loss of 15.9 kg – some even lost up to 17.4 kg.
Dr Clare Hambling, National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity in the NHS England, said: “The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission programme can have a huge impact on the lives of participants and it is great that these results show that a large number of those who completed it have experienced life-changing benefits such as significant weight loss and remission of type 2 diabetes.”
“We know that obesity is one of the greatest threats to health in the UK and will be one of the biggest and most costly challenges facing health systems worldwide. The encouraging results of our programme show that obesity can be tackled directly and we look forward to considering further expansion of this programme in due course.”
Commenting on the study, Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Head of Research at Diabetes UK, said: “Diabetes UK is proud to have funded over a decade of research that has opened up new pathways for people with type 2 diabetes and made remission possible.
“These latest findings reinforce the real-world evidence that the NHS England Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme can help thousands of people with type 2 diabetes on their journey to weight loss and remission, although we know this journey is tough and support is crucial along the way.
“We hope that in the coming years even more people will benefit and that more people will be referred to the program, particularly people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and younger people, where the impact of type 2 diabetes and its remission is greatest.”
Since the scheme was launched in 2020, more than 25,000 people have already signed up for it, and authorities in England are investing £13 million in the scheme this year to ensure even more people can benefit.
Adults aged 18 to 65 are eligible to take part in the programme if they have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last six years and their body mass index (BMI) is over 27 (if they are white) or over 25 (if they are black, Asian or from another ethnic minority).
