How the NHS 'soups and shakes' diet works
A new study has found that the NHS ‘soups and shakes’ diet can help thousands of people with Type 2 diabetes put their condition into "remission".
The strict diet programme resulted in participants losing a significant amount of weight, with nearly a third successfully "reversing" their diabetes, according to the findings published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.
NHS England said the study showed that its Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission programme could benefit "thousands" of patients. Of the 7,540 people who took part in the programme between September 2020 and the end of 2022, 945 completed the full year.
After providing blood samples, researchers found that 32% of those who completed the programme had put their Type 2 diabetes into remission and had lost an average of 15.9kg.
Dr Clare Hambling, the national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England, said: "The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme can have a huge impact on the lives of participants, and it’s brilliant that these findings show a large number of those who completed it have seen life-changing benefits including major weight loss and type 2 diabetes remission.
"We know obesity is one of the biggest threats to health in the UK and will be one of the biggest and most costly challenges for health systems globally, so seeing such encouraging outcomes from our programme shows that obesity can be tackled head-on, and we’re looking forward to scoping any further expansion to this programme in due course."
The low-calorie diet programme has been rolled out across the whole of England as of earlier this year. Here’s how it works:
How the NHS ‘soups and shakes’ diet works
The ‘soups and shakes’ diet, officially known as the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme, is a joint initiative between NHS England and Diabetes UK.
The programme involves a low-calorie, total diet replacement for people living with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Eligible participants must stick to consuming low-calorie, total diet replacements including soups and shakes consisting of 800 to 900 calories a day for 12 weeks.
This means that participants will replace all their normal meals with these soups and shakes, in order to meet the low-calorie requirements of the programme. The goal of this is to kickstart weight loss.
After three months on the soups and shakes diet, participants will be offered lifestyle support to maintain their weight loss and reintroduce healthy solid foods. These include bespoke diet and exercise advice sessions from a coach in-person or online, and support from their GP.
Participants do not have to pay for the programme, as it is fully funded by the NHS.
Why is losing weight important for diabetes patients?
According to Diabetes UK, around 90% of people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese is the most significant modifiable risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes.
Losing weight can significantly improve the health of patients with Type 2 diabetes, and, in some cases, it can result in going into diabetes remission. This means your blood sugar returns to safe, non-diabetes levels for the long-term, without needing medication to lower glucose levels.
Carrying extra weight around the waist can lead to insulin resistance, as fat builds up around the organs like the liver and pancreas. Losing weight can help your body use the insulin it produces or insulin that is injected more efficiently.
Who is eligible for the NHS diet?
Only people who meet certain eligibility requirements will be able to access the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme.
Eligibility requirements include:
Aged 18-65 years old
Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes within the last six years
Have a BMI over 27kg/m2 (where individuals are from white ethnic groups) or over 25kg/m2 (where individuals are from Black, Asian, and other ethnic groups)
If you are interested in joining the programme, you can discuss your individual circumstances with your GP or diabetes team to find out whether it is suitable for you.
Read more about health and wellness:
World Diabetes Day: Ed Gamble discusses being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 13 (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
Why your hormones could be to blame for weight gain (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
What is the new NHS weight loss pill that turns into a balloon? (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
