TDMR Europe releases highlights from its online seminar “Diabetes Remission: Maintenance after weight loss with total diet replacement”
Posted On: 22nd June 2022
On 12th April, TDMR Europe, the leading organisation for the formula diet foods industry, organised an online seminar focusing on weight maintenance after weight loss with total diet replacement (TDR) and demonstrated TDR’s impact on type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
The event “Diabetes Remission: Maintenance after weight loss with total diet replacement” featured health experts Prof Mike Lean (Clinical Senior Research Fellow/Honorary Consultant – University of Glasgow), Prof Gary Frost (Chair in Nutrition and Dietetics – Imperial College London), Dr Elena Philippou (Associate Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics – University of Nicosia) and TDMR Europe Chair, Prof Anthony Leeds (Visiting Senior Fellow, Parker Institute, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen).
Professor Anthony Leeds, Chair of TDMR Europe said:
“We were delighted to see such a successful outcome from our online seminar, with over 170 registrants, and attendees actively participating in the Q&A session that followed the insightful presentations.
This event took place as part of TDMR Europe’s effort to raise awareness among policy makers and healthcare professionals of the efficacy of total diet replacement’s (TDR) in healthy weight loss and the role of TDR in addressing obesity-related health conditions.
Following several studies that showed TDR’s effectiveness in tackling obesity and overweight, we hosted this seminar to demonstrate that weight maintenance is possible after rapid weight loss with TDR and provide stakeholders with a better understanding of how important this finding is for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) care.
Obesity and T2DM are among the most critical health problems that the EU is facing today, posing important challenges for the healthcare and economy sectors. Governments across Europe need to put this issue on the top of their agenda and consider all available options, including formula diet foods.”
Professor Mike Lean provided an update on the development of guidelines for diabetes remission, reviewing evidence from the DiRECT and DIADEM-1 trials, which included the use of TDR. Professor Lean showed that the “DiRECT study achieved diabetes remission for 46% of all participants randomized to the intervention, with mean 12m weight loss 10kg. Those who maintained >15kg loss had over 80% remissions at both 12 and 24 months, and >10kg loss brought remissions for over 70%”. “The new evidence reveals type 2 diabetes as a very serious life-shortening and disabling disease, part of the disease-process of ‘obesity’ in genetically predisposed people, but preventable and reversible at an early stage” said Professor Lean.
The event continued with Professor Gary Frost who highlighted that “there is a number of good practice points for weight loss maintenance”, including maintaining contact with professional support, use of corrective intervention, realistic but clinically important targets and physiological support.
Dr Elena Philippou took the floor to discuss the feasibility of using diets with low glycaemic index (GI) and low glycaemic load (GL) in Mediterranean countries to facilitate weight maintenance. Dr Philippou stressed that “while weight maintenance is a challenge, diets with reduced GI and GL are associated with better weight and fat mass outcomes through reduced hunger and desire to eat something sweet” but also emphasised that “physical activity is vital for both weight loss and maintenance”.
The full recording of the online seminar is available here, and the speakers’ biographical notes and abstracts are available here.
About TDMR Europe
TDMR Europe is the European organisation for manufacturers and distributors of formula diet products, including total diet replacement products (TDRs) and meal replacement products (MRPs) which provide weight loss and weight management programmes for people with obesity and overweight. TDMR Europe organises impactful educational seminars on TDRs and MRPs to review and raise awareness of the increasing evidence base within the scientific literature regarding the efficacy and potential of these products to change the face of obesity and related diseases in Europe.
If you would like to contact TDMR Europe to discuss the webinar or any other matter, email secretariat@tdmr-europe.com.