Type 2 diabetes in adults: management

Lifestyle

If you have type 2 diabetes, having a healthy diet and lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do to manage your diabetes and minimise your risk of developing complications.

A healthy lifestyle involves being active, losing weight if you are overweight, getting enough exercise, having a healthy diet, not smoking and controlling your alcohol intake if you drink alcohol. Your doctor or nurse should give you more information about a healthy lifestyle and what you can do to help keep type 2 diabetes under control (for example, having a healthy diet, taking more exercise and losing weight).

Diet

Having a healthy diet is an important part of living with type 2 diabetes. Eating healthily and losing weight if you are overweight will help you to manage your diabetes better.

An expert such as a dietitian should give you advice about your diet. This should be designed to suit your lifestyle, culture, beliefs and preferences.

If you are overweight, you will be encouraged to lose weight and agree on a target weight loss. Your starting weight‑loss target should be to lose 5% to 10% of your weight. Any weight loss will help, although the nearer you get to a healthy body weight, the better it will be for your long‑term health.

Advice about your diet should also cover the best times to eat, how much carbohydrate per meal you should eat and, if you drink alcohol, how much alcohol to drink.

General healthy eating is also important, and you should:

There's no need to buy food sold specifically for people with diabetes because this tends to be expensive and is not necessarily any better for you. You can still enjoy some foods containing sugar as long as they form part of an overall healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle.

See NICE guidelines and information for the public on topics relating to diet and lifestyle.