Weight loss, and health behaviour and health-related quality of life outcomes of adults with type 2 diabetes

Weight loss, and health behaviour and health-related quality of life outcomes of adults with type 2 diabetes participating in a 12-month digital lifestyle intervention

Type 2 diabetes and obesity often occur together and can seriously affect people’s health. Losing weight is an important part of diabetes care, but people with type 2 diabetes may not always respond to weight-loss programs in the same way as people without diabetes. Differences in outcomes may be related not only to biological factors, but also to how well individuals are able to change everyday habits such as eating behavior and physical activity, which are key drivers of long-term weight management.

In this study, we will examine how people with and without type 2 diabetes respond to a 12-month digital lifestyle program delivered as part of routine public healthcare in Finland. The program supports healthier eating, increased physical activity, and sustainable behavior change through online content, professional coaching, and peer support.

We will compare adults with type 2 diabetes to similar individuals without diabetes who are carefully matched by age, sex, and body mass index. This allows fair comparisons between the groups. Over one year, we will follow changes in body weight and waist size, as well as changes in eating behavior related to binge eating and levels of physical activity.

Preliminary results suggest that people with and without diabetes may lose similar amounts of weight overall. However, those with diabetes appear to experience smaller reductions in waist size and smaller improvements in physical activity and eating behavior. These differences may help explain why some health benefits of weight loss are less pronounced in people with type 2 diabetes.

In addition to weight and behavior changes, we will also examine how the program affects health-related quality of life. Early findings indicate that improvements in several aspects of well-being may be smaller among participants with diabetes. By analyzing a larger group of participants, this study aims to better understand how digital lifestyle programs can be optimized to support both physical health and overall well-being in people living with type 2 diabetes.