THOUSANDS of Worcestershire residents at risk of Type 2 diabetes are being encouraged to access free prevention support through the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
Living Well Taking Control, a new provider of the NHS programme, opened its doors in the area at the start of December 2020, offering the nine-month programme either immediately online through an app or through in-person group sessions once it’s safe to do so amidst the pandemic.
App subscribers will receive coaching and educational sessions from a specialist coach who will monitor their progress and work with them to make healthier lifestyle choices and reduce their risk of developing diabetes. Those who choose to take part in the group programme will meet fortnightly and receive education and support from their coach in venues.
The risk factors of Type 2 Diabetes are wide-ranging, with everything from BMI and lifestyle choices through to ethnicity all contributing to the potential risk to a person of developing the disease.
Speaking about the programme’s success in other areas that LWTC deliver, Dr Russell Muirhead said:
“We have been delighted by the impact we’ve seen the programme have on the lives of service users who were previously at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
“On average, our participants have lost 5kg, reduced their blood sugar levels to a healthy level and generally made positive, sustainable changes which will prevent them from getting this life-changing disease in the future.
“We look forward to working with people across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.”
If you would like to know whether you are at risk, LWTC have developed an online “Know Your Risk” tool, which uses answers to a series of questions to generate a “risk score”, which is available at www.lwtcsupport.co.uk/know-your-risk-tool
Alternatively, residents are encouraged to speak to their GP and ask if they qualify as at risk and therefore eligible for referral onto the programme.
So far, more than 100,000 people have completed the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme nationwide.
For more information, visit http://www.lwtcsupport.co.uk/hereford-worcs-diabetes-support