A Novel Intervention Including Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Recommendations Lowers Haemoglobin A1c, Weight, Waist Circumference, and Medication use in Diabetes and Obesity

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of diabetes and obesity has increased globally, but population-level health outcomes have not improved significantly. Diabetes medications are often associated with weight gain, hypoglycaemia, and cardiovascular risks. People with diabetes and obesity often receive generic “eat less, exercise more” guidelines that do not lead to sustainable outcomes. Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized intervention focused on Plant-Based Whole Foods (PBWF), Time Restricted Eating (TRE), and Fractionized Exercise (FE) in reducing blood glucose, weight, waist circumference, and medication use. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on a non-randomized group of 41 participants. Adults with diabetes or prediabetes (68%) or obesity (32%) (mean age: 47 years; SD: 13 years; 76% male) received personalized coaching remotely and digitally for 3 to 6 months, depending on their health and motivation baseline. A total of 35 participants completed their intervention. The primary measures were changes in HbA1c, fasting and postprandial glucose levels, weight, waist circumference, and medication use. Results: The intervention yielded significant improvements in various health parameters among the Diabetic/Prediabetic and Weight loss program participants. Specifically, a reduction was observed from baseline to completion in HbA1c by 1.64 percent points, fasting glucose by 24 percent, postprandial glucose by 27 percent, weight by 3.4 percent, and waist circumference by 3.2 percent in the Diabetic/Prediabetic program participants. In the Weight loss program participants, there was a reduction in weight by 7.5 percent and waist circumference by 6.8 percent. Participants with diabetes who were on insulin injections prior to the start of the intervention reduced their insulin doses by 67 percent by the end of their personalized program. Participants onnon-insulin, oral hypo-glycaemic agents at baseline reduced such medication categories by 27 percent. Conclusions: The findings suggest that a personalized program combining PBWF, TRE, and FE can significantly improve the biomarkers of metabolic health in individuals with diabetes and obesity while reducing the need for medications.