Motivating Lifestyle Change for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention

Globally diabetes poses a major challenge, both at a national and an individual level. The
economic impact and the effects on quality of life are very significant and growing. Nearly,
400 million people suffer from diabetes across the world. In the UK 3.2 million people have
been diagnosed and it is estimated that there may be almost another 0.8 million undiagnosed.
For the UK the cost of treatment is estimated to be approaching £1B annually, with the wider
cost of complications estimated to be £9B.
Buddi proposes to develop an IT/e health system/platform which gathers patient data on
activity, eating behaviours and patterns and thoughts and feelings about their diabetes self
management. The system will then analyse and make supportive and motivational
interventions and feedback to the patient to prompt, encourage and facilitate him/her to
become more confident and willing to change their behaviours. For example, changing the
habit of eating “late” to one of eating earlier in the evening or at a more appropriate time,
eating nutrionally balanced meals, managing cravings, comfort eating in response to low
mood or stress and perceptions of low blood sugar. The purpose of this project is to
determine if targeted motivational information/prompts as feedback on biological data
collected via wearable technology can reduce weight and increase physical activity; the two
main risk factors for type-2 diabetes.