Last week, Diabetes UK reported that the number of people living with diabetes has risen by a staggering 60% over the past 10 years.  They stated that 3.3 million people in the UK have some form of the condition which is up from 2.1 million in 2005.

About  90% of diabetes cases are type II which is strongly linked to lifestyle  (diet and obesity) therefore we can reverse this trend by encouraging the UK’s population to change their lifestyle and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

The black community is three times more likely to develop diabetes and hence it is important that we take note of these statistics and make a concerted effort to do something about this.

As a community we have to look at our diet, make changes and get more active in order to beat this condition.

In January 2015 the Barbados Diabetes Reversal Study, a pilot study aimed at reversing type two diabetes, will begin. It will explore whether type two diabetes can be reversed by patients adopting a low calorie diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

Participants will be given a low calorie liquid diet for eight weeks with non-starchy vegetables making sure that they receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals. This will then be followed by a 6 month period where participants will resume a normal healthy diet.

The study will be funded by Virgin Unite and builds on research conducted in the UK by Prof Roy Taylor.

If you’re from Barbados and would like to take part in this study you’ll need to have been diagnosed with the condition within the past 6 years.  For more information and to register please contact reversediabetes246@gmail.com or 1 246 266 5673