On a day when new research suggests that more than a third of adults in England may be on the cusp of developing type-2 diabetes, Do Something Different is extending a pilot programme with Hertfordshire Public Health which can potentially head off the onset of the disease.
The report published in the British Medical Journal looked at Health Survey for England data between 2003 and 2011. In 2003, it was found that 11.6% of adults surveyed had pre-diabetes (defined by blood sugar levels at the very high end of the normal range). In 2011, the figures had trebled to 35.3%.
The ramifications for individual health and the NHS as a whole are immense. Diabetes UK estimates that the NHS already spends 10% of its budget on diabetes-related treatments. If this increase in patients is not prevented, the NHS will struggle to cope.
Prevention is all about behaviour change
In medical terms, it’s relatively simple for most people to avoid the onset of diabetes. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning, Barbara Young, the CEO of Diabetes UK explained that a 10% reduction in body weight and an increase in activity will avoid or delay type-2 diabetes in 80% of cases.
The real challenge is a behavioural one. Do Something Different’s founding Professor of Psychology, Ben Fletcher, explains. “Most people are aware that they are overweight or don’t do enough exercise. The problem is breaking the habits of eating convenient, processed, high sugar food and drinks, and encouraging more activity.”
Healthy Living programme targets eating and activity habits
The Do Something Different Healthy Living programme currently being run with Hertfordshire Public Health is an online behaviour change programme that directly targets healthy eating and exercise.
This 6-week programme is tailored to each participant through an online diagnostic. Participants then receive Do’s – small positive tasks by text message and email – designed to help them to explore healthier ways to live. They can feedback in an online Do Zone, where they can also share what they have done with other people on the programme. They receive encouragement from online coaches. At the end of the programme they are invited to do the diagnostic again, so that they can see what has changed.
Professor Fletcher explains: “Do Something Different helps people start the process of moving away from ingrained habits around food, drink and activity in small, easy to carry out steps. Over the course of six weeks they gradually break the automatic behaviours they have built up and become more aware of how they are living their life.”
Results could make a real in-road into diabetes onset
A previous programme with over 500 participants in the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk showed that weight decreased by an average of 4.7 pounds and frequency of exercise increased from 1.7 to 3.9 times per week. Whats’ more, a follow-on study 6 months after completion suggested that results were being sustained, corroborating the idea that Do Something Different is a launchpad for a new healthy lifestyle, rather than a one-off intervention.
From just £25, the cost of a Do Something Different programme is relatively modest compared to many medical interventions. Professor Fletcher says: “We currently have more than 450 people on our Do Hertfordshire programmes and expect to report on initial findings in mid-September. We hope that this will lead the way to more public health discussions in the near future.”
