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NHS ‘soup and shake’ diet puts almost a third of type 2 diabetes cases in remission
Tens of thousands more people in England living with type 2 diabetes could be offered an 800-calorie-a-day “soup and shake” diet after research found almost one in three on the groundbreaking NHS scheme permanently wiped out their disease.
Patients are given low-calorie meal replacement products such as soups, milkshakes and snack bars for three months, triggering rapid weight loss, before getting support to reintroduce normal food into their diet.
Currently, 10,000 people a year can access the scheme but “brilliant” results showing “life-changing benefits” among participants have prompted NHS leaders to consider expanding the programme.
Some who took up the diet lost as much as 17.4kg (38lbs). Almost a third put their type 2 diabetes in remission, according to a paper published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.
The year-long programme helps people kickstart their weight loss journey with the low-calorie “meal replacement” diet for the first 12 weeks. Participants are then encouraged to reintroduce healthy food and receive tailored support to maintain their weight loss.
The study examined data on 1,740 people who started the diet before January 2022. Of these, 945 completed a full year of the programme – defined as having their weight recorded after 12 months – and twice provided blood samples.
Among this group, 32% had put their condition into remission – defined by average blood glucose levels over a period of time – with an average weight loss of 15.9kg (35lbs).
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, the director of research at Diabetes UK, said the charity was proud to have funded research over more than a decade that had “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.”
More than 25,000 people have taken part in the scheme since it was launched in 2020. In May this year, NHS officials said the diet would be offered across England to 50,000 people across five years, doubling the capacity of the programme. Officials have put £13m into the scheme this year to ensure more people could benefit.
Source: The Guardian, 5 August 2024
See also: The Lancet - Early findings from the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme: a prospective evaluation of real-world implementation
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Opinion: England’s GPs are squaring up to the government – but it’s an unnecessary battle
Writing for the Guardian, columnist Polly Toynbee, discusses the considerable challenges faced by General Practitioners (GPs) in England. Toynbee outlines how GPs are grappling with unprecedented levels of stress and workload, leading to a significant decline in morale and has culminated in GPs voting overwhelmingly for industrial action. These challenges have also resulted in patients facing long wait times and difficulties in accessing appointments.
Toynbee highlights the key demand of this industrial action is a new contract that accurately reflects the current work of GPs. The outdated Carr-Hill formula, based on the 1991 census, fails to consider deprivation, leading to inadequate support for poorer areas in achieving high vaccination and smoking cessation rates. GPs are calling for a significant shift of NHS funding from hospitals to GP clinics and community services to better address these disparities.
Toynbee quotes Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA GPs committee and its chief negotiator, who has said that a focus on reducing hospital waiting lists has overridden “all evidence that prevention, public health and community treatments are the best hope for improving the health of the nation”.
Toynbee calls for urgent support and changes to ensure that GPs can provide the necessary care, emphasizing that without addressing these systemic issues, the healthcare system will continue to suffer.
Source: The Guardian, 6 August 2024
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Jersey Budget: Fuel and alcohol duty frozen, tobacco tax up, more health funding and Government cuts
The Government of Jersey has set out its Budget for the next four years which includes some key changes, including a freeze on fuel and alcohol duty, extra funding for health and cost-saving measures across the Civil Service.
Jersey's Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, says: "The Budget 2025-2028 prioritises our essential services and seeks to deliver practical solutions to the immediate challenges facing islanders."
The price to fill up your car and a pint of beer will not see any tax increases as alcohol and fuel duty is frozen for 2025.
The Government says this is to support people through the high cost of living.
It is the fifth year in a row that alcohol duty has been either frozen or held below inflation.
Ministers have also committed to keep giving 9p per litre from fuel duty receipts to the Climate Emergency Fund.
As part of that same drive towards sustainability, there will be a 20% increase in emissions duty for the most polluting vehicles.
Tobacco duty will rise - meaning an 83p increase on a 20 pack of cigarettes.
Source: ITVX, 2 August 2024
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