A new study suggests that people are more willing to change unhealthy lifestyle habits after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
When diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, people are often advised to eat a healthier diet, exercise more, and take medications.
A total of 67 patients with type 2 diabetes from the UK and the Netherlands participated in the study by completing a virtual questionnaire.
More than 50% of participants were treating their type 2 diabetes with the drug metformin.
The results showed that 50% of participants wanted to engage in all three approaches to managing their condition.
Meanwhile, 6% of participants rejected all three treatment offers, the study reported.
The findings showed that healthy eating was more preferred among participants from the Netherlands compared to participants from the United Kingdom.
However, both motivated and unmotivated participants recognized the benefits of a healthy diet to help manage weight and blood sugar levels.
People who didn't want to exercise often came up with excuses like it was hard to keep up when they were away from home or in hot weather.
Additionally, participants were more likely to exercise if they had a peer to exercise with.
The authors concluded: “Most recently diagnosed people who were not willing to manage their type 2 diabetes with medication were active in eating a healthy diet and being physically active.
“Despite this, a significant proportion of people did not intend to actively participate in both healthy eating and physical activity.”
The study was published in the journal Primary Care Diabetes.
