Positive response to diabetes food campaign
An online guide to eating and diet has helped people with diabetes address their relationship with food, a leading charity has announced.
Diabetes UK said 82 per cent of people who participated in an online survey said its Enjoy Food project had prompted them to eat more healthily.
The organisation announced its findings during the Diabetes UK Professional Conference, which is being held in Glasgow.
Enjoy Food consists of online nutritional information about how to eat well with diabetes and information on the psychology of food.
People have told us that it gives them clear information about what to eat and the recipes are easy to make and tasty
A monthly newsletter with tips, seasonal content, videos featuring nutritional advice and recipes with clear information on nutritional content has also been sent out to subscribers.
A total of 796 people took part in the online survey about the Enjoy Food campaign and 62 per cent of those participants said they had since changed the way they cooked meals.
Natasha Marsland, senior clinical advisor at Diabetes UK and a registered dietitian, said: “Our starting point for the Enjoy Food project was to interview people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, go food shopping with them and explore their food habits.
“What we discovered was that for many people, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, managing diet, as part of a routine of family life was the most challenging aspect of their condition.
“In response we developed the Enjoy Food project and the feedback we have had has been incredibly positive. People have told us that it gives them clear information about what to eat and the recipes are easy to make and tasty. We are delighted that people have engaged with Enjoy Food and are using it to help them eat more healthily.
“We know that some healthcare professionals already recommend Enjoy Food resources to their patients but we hope the results of our survey will convince more to do so. First and foremost this tool is of use to people with diabetes, but we also know that one in five users refer to it because a member of their family has diabetes. It is also a great resource for people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes and who are trying to improve their diet and potentially lose weight.
“Our focus for 2016 is to now build further content, particularly for type 1 and audiences from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and to encourage more user-generated content.”