Box 1 The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

Type 2 diabetes is a global public health priority [7], and 13.6 million people in the UK are now at an increased risk of developing the condition [8]. Type 2 diabetes is preventable by behavioural modifications such as improved diet, increased physical activity and weight loss. Prevention programmes implemented worldwide provide behaviour change interventions for individuals at risk. Trials and real-world studies have found such programmes to be effective at promoting weight loss and thereby reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes [9].

In response to this, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme was launched in 2016; a nine-month behaviour change intervention for adults in England who have been identified as having elevated blood glucose levels and therefore at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes [10]. The programme is commissioned by NHS England and provides education and support on how to improve diet and increase physical activity to achieve weight loss. The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is the largest in the world to achieve universal national coverage [11].