NHS rolls out rapid weight loss diet that reverses diabetes

A revolutionary new diet programme that can permanently reverse type 2 diabetes will be expanded across much of the country by the NHS.

An 800 calories-a-day soup and shake diet has been found to not only trigger rapid weight loss, but also battle the most common type of diabetes. It has also been proved to put sufferers into remission within two years.

Clinical trials found that even three years later, people were still in remission and had an average weight loss of 1st 6lb at the five-year stage.

It is currently available in 21 areas of England, but the NHS will be rolling it out to patients in every part of the country by March 2024.

Dieting guru Michael Mosley has previously praised the diet – it was first piloted in 2020 – saying it was very effective, although he urged people to speak to a doctor before embarking on a rapid weight loss diet or liquid diet.

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The founder of the 5:2 diet and Very Fast 800 said: “It’s about 800-900 calories, more calories, more protein, all the right ingredients in it and it seems to be very effective.

“As for weight loss results, it was compared to a standard diet [and] the people who were on the rapid weight loss diet, they lost more weight, about 1.5st, but they also had less side effects than the group who went on the standard diet.”

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, the NHS National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity, is pleased with the findings and hopes many people take advantage of what seems a win-win scenario.

He said: “I am delighted that thousands more people are making use of this programme with thousands more set to benefit across England in the coming year.

“This programme is also the latest example of the NHS effectively deploying evidence-based treatments to help people with type 2 diabetes live well.

“Obesity is a significant factor and cause of several serious diseases, so the NHS is always here to help people to lose weight when necessary, and live healthier lives.”

Obesity is a major driver of type 2 diabetes, with research suggesting that obese people are up to 80 times more likely to develop the condition than those with a healthy body mass index (BMI) of less than 22. Of the 298 people who took part in the original study, half received standard diabetes care from their GP and half were put on a diet with support from health professionals.

This included a low-calorie, nutrient-complete soup and shake diet (around 800 calories per day) for between 12 and 20 weeks, together with support from a nurse or dietician to reintroduce healthy foods and maintain weight loss.

The study was led by Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University and he added: “This result is wildly important. We had shown that weight loss is highly effective, but the question had always been – how long will that benefit last?

“This new finding shows that type 2 diabetes is reversible in the long term. Losing weight removes the drivers of type 2 diabetes and means the body can achieve normal glucose levels. Those factors will be lifelong.”

The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is a nationally available 12-week online behavioural and lifestyle programme accessed via a smartphone or computer with internet access. It can be accessed following a referral from Primary Care or Community Pharmacy.