Changes in reported food intake in adults with type 2 diabetes in response to a nonprescriptive dietary intervention

Objectives: There is a lack of published data about the food intake of patients with type 2 diabetes and the changes that they make in response to patient‐centred dietary advice. The present study describes the changes reported in response to a nonprescriptive dietary intervention based upon UK dietary guidelines.

Methods: Two hundred and sixty‐two patients (87 women and 175 men) from the Early ACTivity in Diabetes (ACTID) trial who received the dietary intervention returned 4 days food diaries at baseline and 6 months. Nonparametric tests were used to examine changes in meal patterns, total energy intake and energy from food groups between baseline and 6 months.

Results: Mean (SD) number of reported meals day^–1 was 3.0 (0.3) and mean (SD) number of snacks was 1.1 (0.6) at both baseline and 6 months for men and women. Men reported decreasing energy intake by a mean (SD) of 912 (1389) KJ/day [218 (332) kcal day^–1] (P < 0.001) and women by 515 (1130) KJ/day [123 (270) kcal day^–1] (P < 0.001). Men reported reducing energy from alcoholic drinks [−234 (527) KJ day^–1; P < 0.001], white bread [−113 (402) KJ day^–1; P = 0.001], biscuits [i.e. cookies −67 (205) KJ day^–1; P < 0.001] and cakes [−50 (410) KJ day^–1; P = 0.0012]. Women reported reducing energy from mixed main meals [−134 (456) KJ day^–1; P = 0.036], pasta and rice [−79 (326) KJ day^–1; P = 0.019], high‐energy drinks [−59 (159) KJ day^–1; P = 0.001] and white bread [−59 (368) KJ day^–1; P = 0.042].

Conclusions
Men and women in the Early ACTID study reported small changes in higher‐energy and lower‐fibre foods and drinks in response to patient‐centred dietary advice.