Diabetes Remission FAQs

Oviva is a leading provider of NHS services, combining the support of dietitians, diabetes specialist nurses, health coaches and psychologists with technology to make healthcare more convenient and accessible to all. Oviva combines support from health coaches, weight management specialists, and psychologists, via its NHS Digital-approved smartphone app or telephone consultations.

We have created a series of expert-led evidence-based programmes to help people with health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or obesity feel healthier and happier.

Oviva Diabetes Remission is a free service that aims to help people transform their health, lose weight and put their type 2 diabetes into remission.

The programme takes place over 12 months, including a 12 week 800-850 kcal/day diet using meal replacement products such as shakes and soups. You will be supported by a diabetes specialist dietitian, health coach, or a coach-led support group at a time that suits you. This combined with the Oviva app and online Learn platform supports you to improve your health and better self-manage your condition.

The aim of the programme is to help people lose weight, improve their blood glucose levels, reduce their risk of diabetes complications and the number of diabetes medications they need to take, and even put their type 2 diabetes into remission.

When you join, we will assess your needs and provide you with your own personalised healthcare plan that makes sense for you. You will have the choice to be matched with a Diabetes Specialist Dietitian, and either a health coach or a health coach-led support group to help you throughout your journey.

Upon starting the 12 month programme, you will have the choice to be matched with your own personal coach or coach-led support group. Coaching can happen over phone, video calls or the Oviva app.

You will have an initial consultation with a Diabetes Specialist Dietitian who will help you prepare for the journey ahead and create a tailored plan just for you. During your initial consultation, you will find out more about the Low Calorie Diet phase of the programme and your dietitian will be able to answer any questions you may have.

You will then start the Low Calorie Diet which lasts for 12 weeks. This means you will consume recommended shakes or soups approximately 4 times a day instead of your usual meals. These products contain all the nutrients and minerals your body needs and will provide roughly 800 – 850kcal a day. After this, your dietitian and health coach will help you to reintroduce food over 4 weeks and help you build new healthy habits.

Using the Oviva app you will be able to track your weight loss, log your food diary and read weekly resources to help build new healthy habits.
For the remaining 8 months of the programme, you will work on sustaining these healthy habits to keep your weight loss and improvements to your diabetes management. If you start to regain weight, you will also have the chance to have another call with your dietitian to help you get back on track.

Putting your diabetes into remission means that, although you have a diagnosis of diabetes, your blood glucose levels have for the moment returned to a healthy level. Remission from your type 2 diabetes is achieved if you have lost weight, achieved a blood glucose reading below the diagnosis levels for diabetes and stopped taking all blood glucose lowering (diabetes) medications.

Achieving remission involves weight loss and lifestyle changes that will improve your health. Benefits include:

• Stopping or reducing the number the medications you need to take.
• Reducing your risk of heart disease and other diabetes related complications.
• Improving your mental wellbeing.
• Helping you to sleep better and generally feel more healthy.
• Reducing your risk of arthritis, especially in your knees, hips and back.

The Low Calorie Diet is only required in the first 12 weeks. It offers the highest chance of achieving significant weight loss over a short period and therefore putting your diabetes into remission. You will use a Total Diet Replacement (TDR) product, consisting of shakes and/or soups during this time which contain all the essential vitamins and minerals you need.
Generally, you will have four meal replacement products per day. The Oviva team will provide information and support you in getting the TDR product.

Having the recommended shakes or soups as your Total Dietary Replacement products is a proven way to lose weight quickly and safely. At present, a low-calorie diet using meal replacements has been shown to offer the greatest chance of achieving remission of type 2 diabetes. Following the recommended plan is much easier than trying to calorie count standard meals and snacks, as often people can find it difficult to stick to the strict limit. The shakes and soups are also nutritionally complete, meaning they contain all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs to work properly.

People who take part in Oviva Diabetes Remission receive all care and support free of charge as an NHS service, but are asked to buy the Total Dietary Replacement products themselves.. Meal replacement products work out at £15-23 for a whole week and are generally cheaper than buying meals and snacks for the same 7-day period.

The programme is entirely remote with all appointments taking place via telephone calls or through secure messaging in the Oviva app, so you don’t need to travel to a set location for appointments. This means you can have flexible appointments from wherever you are and at a time that suits you, even during the evenings or at weekends.

A dietitian is a qualified healthcare professional who is regulated by the UK Health and Care Professionals Council and whose title is also protected by law. They hold either a four-year degree in dietetics, or a science degree followed by a two-year postgraduate qualification. A dietitian has supervised and assessed professional practice in clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and food service management.

A health coach is an expert in dietary and lifestyle guidance and coaching. Our team of health coaches have degrees in Nutrition and are certified nutritionists, or they have degrees in Psychology or Exercise Therapy with extensive experience in a health coach role. At Oviva you may be supported by a dietitian or a health coach depending on your medical history or the complexity of the programme you are following.

Download the Oviva app via the Android Google Play Store or the Apple AppStore and login using your personal login details sent to you via email. You can also log in by entering your mobile number and date of birth.

You can choose to take part in the programme digitally using our online resources and app, or you can access an offline programme if you don’t have a smartphone or would prefer phone calls. You are in control of how you’d like to take part and so you can take part in the best way for you.

We strongly encourage everyone to download the app as it will enhance your experience on the programme. The app helps you to track your food and activity (either through manual input or by connecting the app to a wearable device like a FitBit), speak with your health coach or group through secure messaging, and set and monitor goals.

The app is not compulsory and you can complete the full programme without using the app if you prefer.

Please note participants can only login and use the app once they have been provided with their login details following the enrolment call with our Patient Pathway Coordinator.

Your Patient Pathway Coordinator will send you an email with your login details and password. Follow the link to www.ovivacoach.com, and copy and paste or type in the 8-letter code in CAPITALS provided in this email.

Oviva’s coaches are available from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday as well as on Saturdays from 9am-3pm. The time of the appointments are flexible around your schedule.

Yes! Everyone on the programme will receive support from a UK-based dietitian or health coach. This expert coach is assigned based on availability and language requirements.

Although the programme is designed to help you achieve remission of your type 2 diabetes, not everyone on the programme manages to achieve remission. However, many people who have taken part have said that the programme has helped them to be on less medication, weigh less and have better control over their type 2 diabetes.

The support is completely free and is offered as part of the NHS. Please note for some programmes you may need to purchase total diet replacement products in place of your normal meals.

If you are eligible to join, you can be referred by your GP and in some areas you can sign up directly. Eligibility criteria can vary for each programme.

Programme participants have lifelong access to the Oviva app, online materials and any printed materials given during the programme to support them in sustaining their healthier lifestyle long after the programme ends.

Your medical records, including personal information such as name, address, and the content of any communication with your dietitian or coach will be kept strictly confidential and will not be sold to third parties, nor distributed. Please read more about how we keep your data secure in our Privacy Statement.

Get in touch with one of our team either by telephone on 0207 622 4777, or using our contact form. If you have a medical emergency or an urgent medical matter, please call 999 or NHS 111.

Do not hesitate to contact our designated Safeguarding Officer, Claire Fernandes on claire.fernandes@oviva.com.

You can get in touch with us by completing our contact form. Please note it may take up to 2 working days to receive a response.

All Oviva dietitians are registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council and our nutritionists are AfN registered. All members of the team undergo regular quality assurance reviews and receive regular training from our Lead Dietitians and Psychologist.