NHS patients will get free fitness trackers to cut Type 2 diabetes

Thousands of people who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes will receive wearable tech such as fitness trackers as part of efforts by the NHS to combat the condition, caused by obesity

As our lives become more digitalised and the number of those with diabetes has more than doubled in 20 years, it seems that the nation continue to look for alternative ways to tackle the UK’s obesity crisis.

However, tech can have both pros and cons – they can help people track the amount you exercise, but a takeaway meal can also be ordered in one click – arriving at your door in an average of 14 minutes.

As 13 million Brits find takeaways too convenient to say no to, it is now vital that we find ways to inform consumers of the nutritional value of food to help Brits eat a balanced diet amidst a country who love junk food.

National stats as to why we don’t cook from home

• 59% of Brits  – 24,954,000 people – are not 100% confident that they know all of the ingredients that is in the food that they order online/ in-app
• 10% of Brits – 4,180,000 people – consider home delivery services as an integral way to eating a full meal in the week
• A fifth of millennials – 17% or 832,000 people – will order a takeaway to ensure they eat a full meal in the week
• 10% of Brits – 4,683,000 people – don’t know how to cook a good/ healthy meal from scratch
• 8% of Brits – 3,770,000 people – say the majority of their main meals are microwave meals
• 7% of Brits – 3,162,000 people – eat more take-out food than home-cooked food
• 5% of Brits – 2,182,000 people – order take-out food more than 3 times a week

Ubamarket has conducted a study across over 2,000 UK adults which found a quarter of millennials cannot cook a healthy meal from scratch. With 22 million fast-food and takeaway meals being consumed every week in the UK – according to Cancer Research UK – and 30% of the nation find travelling to the supermarket a laborious task, Ubamarket’s research reveals the shocking impact that junk food and take-outs have on our health.

As our lives become more busy and digitalised, Brits prefer the convenience of takeaway apps than conducting a weekly shop. Over half of Brits are unaware of the ingredients in take-out food and may not be aware of the severe health implications that this may have on our bodies – frequent takeaway meal consumption has been consistently associated with obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.

As the nation turns away from home-cooked food, a report by Kantar has also revealed that supermarket sales have fallen by 0.5% over the last quarter and the ‘big four’ have all seen a drop in sales of at least 2%.

In attempt to bring Brits back to the grocery shop and live healthier lifestyles, Ubamarket’s app strives to make the shopping experience more convenient for those with dietary requirements by implementing retail tech – customers can shop by a recipe, cut out food that may harm their health, and be informed of the nutritional value of the food they are looking to buy:

• 30% of Brits – 13,984,000 people – find travelling to the supermarket to do a traditional weekly shop an inconvenience
• 25% of Brits – 12,307,000 people – say making their own food is a boring task
• 14% of Brits – 6,928,000 people – say they have no time for making their own food in the evening/ during the week
• 31% – 13,829,000 people – of Brits believe delivery services are too easy and quick to say no to

How to ‘supermarket-shop’ yourself away from obesity

• Write a list and stick to it – That way you won’t be tempted to buy unnecessary ‘impulse buy’ items
• Organise your list by route or by food category, so you won’t have to revisit aisles  and avoid the dreaded junk food aisle
• Shop alone when you can – Although it can be fun to shop with someone, there will be less distractions if you shop solo with a target list of products
• If you are not doing a really large shop, don’t use a trolley as it will only slow you down
• Use scan-and-go technology as you shop – That way you can avoid the queues.
• Use an app to find out the nutritional value of the products you are looking to buy  to avoid buying any products which could prove to be detrimental to your health

Will Broome, CEO and Founder of Ubamarket comments on how implementing retail technology into stores to make the shopping experience more streamlined, more customer-friendly and could help tackle the type 2 diabetes and obesity crisis:

“Our research has revealed that nearly 7 million Brits do not have time to cook food in the evening. However, people may not be aware that home-cooking can be just as quick, save customers money and provide many health benefits. As our lives become more digitalised, technology could prove to have health benefits if used correctly – retailers should adapt their offerings to create an efficient shopping experience. This would encourage people to shop in stores for their grocery shopping instead of ordering takeaways.

If shops were to implement retail tech, such as apps that guide you around the store, allow you to write shopping lists and inform customers of the nutritional values of customers, that would encourage shoppers up and down the country to make the most of the benefits that bricks and mortar stores have to offer.”