Group-based and online lifestyle counselling can support middle-aged and older men in making health-promoting dietary changes. These dietary changes, in turn, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among men with a high genetic risk, a study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland shows.<\/p>\n
The T2D-GENE study investigated the effects of group-based and online lifestyle counselling on dietary changes among men living in the eastern part of Finland, and how these changes influenced their risk of type 2 diabetes. The study also examined whether a high genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes<\/a> has an impact on the benefits gained from dietary changes.<\/p>\n Men in the intervention group received lifestyle counselling over a three-year period. The study found that lifestyle counselling delivered in group sessions and through a web portal helped participants adopt healthier dietary habits.<\/p>\n Health-promoting dietary choices were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly among individuals carrying a high number of diabetes-associated risk genes. Moreover, participants carrying the genetic variant TCF7L2, which is known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, benefitted most from a fibre intake that meets the nutrition recommendations.<\/p>\n Participants in the intervention group successfully increased their intake of fibre, whole grain products, berries, vegetables, fish and plant-based oils. At the same time, reported consumption of sausages, high-fat cheeses, low-fibre grain products, sweets and butter decreased. By the end of the study, those receiving lifestyle counselling were, in general, consuming more health-promoting foods than those in the control group.<\/p>\n Numerous previous studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or at least delayed, through health-promoting lifestyle habits.<\/p>\n “We need to find resource-efficient ways within health care to support these lifestyle changes. Group-based and online counselling is more resource-efficient than individual counselling,” Doctoral Researcher Ulla Tolonen of the University of Eastern Finland notes and adds:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Our new findings show that group-based and online counselling is sufficient to support lifestyle changes among individuals with a high genetic risk of type 2 diabetes.”<\/p>\n
Ulla Tolonen, University of Eastern Finland<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Participants’ consumption of individual foods was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, while fiber intake was evaluated both through food records and by measuring plasma alkylresorcinol, which is a biomarker<\/a> of whole grain intake. The incidence of type 2 diabetes and blood glucose levels were measured by an oral glucose tolerance test. Genetic risk was assessed either by a risk score calculated on the basis of 76 risk genes, or by the genotype TCF7L2, a known risk gene for type 2 diabetes. All participants had impaired fasting blood glucose at baseline.<\/p>\n Source:<\/p>\n University of Eastern Finland<\/a><\/p>\n Journal references:<\/p>\n Tolonen, U., et al. (2025) Changes in food choices and dietary patterns during the lifestyle intervention and their association with type 2 diabetes risk in participants with high or low genetic risk for type 2 diabetes. European Journal of Nutrition. doi.org\/10.1007\/s00394-025-03791-x<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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