People with diabetes in Great Yarmouth who took part in a new diet and exercise regime have seen a marked improvement in their condition. 

The programme was commissioned by the social enterprise East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) in partnership with East Norfolk Medical Practice to provide individualised personal training and nutritional advice to patients with a long-term diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.

Since the Covid pandemic, the number of people with a history of difficult diabetic control referred to the service has risen from 23 to 128 per month.

In Norfolk and Waveney, Great Yarmouth has the highest number of people with prediabetes - this means blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Great Yarmouth has the highest number of people with prediabetes in Norfolk and Waveney.Great Yarmouth has the highest number of people with prediabetes in Norfolk and Waveney.

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The 11-week programme was completed by 32 patients who received nutritional advice and were encouraged to follow a ‘Mediterranean’ diet, eating lots of fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrain cereals.

They were also offered 10 activity sessions delivered by a personal trainer.

At the end of the programme, results showed the majority of participants had significantly reduced blood sugar levels and were far less ‘addicted’ to carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and sugar.

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Rupert Talboys, a GP with East Norfolk Medical Practice who was responsible for launching the project with the diabetes team at ECCH, said: “We’re really encouraged by these results.

"We wanted to see if we could make a tangible difference to a group of patients who had a long-term diagnosis and whose activity levels and diet were making it hard for them to control their diabetes."

The programme is set to continue in Great Yarmouth to enable more data to be gathered on its long-term effects. It is also hoped that funding can be secured to roll it out to a wider geographical area.