William David Spencer was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in August 2020. He was very overweight and had a poor diet, but he first decided to see a doctor when he noticed some wounds that wouldn’t heal on his legs.
He said: “I had some abrasive wounds on the back of my legs which would not heal, went to the local GP and saw a nurse who knew straight away there was an underlying problem, and seeing my weight, started the process of blood tests to see if I had type 2 diabetes.”
At the news of his diagnosis, the 57-year-old from County Durham was very upset and worried, especially with the weight issues and his health.
If diabetes isn’t treated, it can lead to a number of other health problems, including kidney damage, eye damage, and even heart disease and stroke.
William said: “At the time I was suffering from depression. Apparently this can be a symptom of type 2 diabetes. Fortunately I don’t smoke or drink alcohol, which was in my favour.”
William was put on Metformin by his doctor – a common medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes.
He was also told to make some significant changes to his diet. He said: “My wife was in Slimming World due to her having type 2 as well, so I joined her group.
“I changed my eating habits to more fruits and vegetables, and cut back on carbs and high fatty foods and sweets since seeing surveys about how few of us even now do not eat our five a day.”
Global wellness company Juice Plus + carried out a global survey of 32,000 people across multiple European countries, including the UK (available to download here).
The survey revealed nearly half (46 percent) of those aged 65 years or over, do not know what a standard adult portion of fruit and vegetables look like. It also found that 60 percent of Britons now eat less fruit and vegetables than 10 years ago. And people are turning to tinned, dried, or processed products, largely due to inflation and the cost of living crisis.
Three and a half years down the line, William has lost four stone, going from 26.6 stone to 22.6, and he’s now waiting for one more blood test to confirm remission.
He explained: “I was taken off the small dose of Metformin I had got down to just before Christmas. My wife also is officially in remission as well.”
William feels relieved and happy to be where he is today. He said: “I still have a way to go with weight loss, but results like this make my lifestyle changes worthwhile.
“This doesn’t say I have become some health nut fanatic, this is just down to doing the right thing overtime and sticking to it.”
