Clooney and Amal. Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Beckham and Posh Spice.
Power couples: powerhouses joining forces. We know them. We love them.
Enter: FSL and WW.
Combining FreeStyle Libre's continuous glucose monitoring and diabetes insights with WeightWatchers' nutritional guidance and diabetes-tailored weight management plan to empower people living with diabetes with information to improve their health.
We know that diabetes can make it difficult to know what to eat, when to eat and how to stick to a meal plan. Losing or maintaining weight can be even harder.
To learn more about the relationship between diabetes, weight management and overall health, we asked Lynne Lyons, Senior Manager, Medical Engagement at Abbott, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, three big questions surrounding the partnership.
How can FreeStyle Libre help with overall weight and health management?
Glucose monitoring, medication, insulin and exercise are vital for many living well with diabetes. But nutrition is also critical because what you eat can immediately affect your glucose levels. That's why we're partnering with WW, to help people living with diabetes better understand the impact of certain foods on their glucose, and ultimately help them improve their nutrition and glucose levels.
Why can weight management and weight loss be specifically difficult for those living with diabetes?
People living with diabetes have a lot to think about when it comes to self-care, especially with eating. It can be overwhelming. There are many mixed messages about how one should eat and which eating plans are healthy. There is no one way to eat to lose weight; it’s not "one size fits all." Changing the way we eat requires guidance, support and encouragement. We shouldn't do it alone.
Why is weight management specifically important for the overall health of those living with diabetes?
All people should strive to eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight. It is particularly important for people living with diabetes because extra weight can contribute to insulin resistance. This in turn makes diabetes harder to manage and may necessitate starting or increasing diabetes medications, like insulin. For people with pre-diabetes, weight loss of 7-10% is effective in preventing the progression to type 2 diabetes, and for people living with both type 1 and type 2, weight loss can lower cardiometabolic risk factors.1
Thanks, Lynne.
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