Te Ngako Oranga: Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is one of New Zealand’s most urgent health challenges — costly, inequitable, and growing rapidly. Prediabetes is equally problematic, but remains under-recognised in the medical system, despite its clear progression risk. Yet both conditions are largely preventable, manageable, and even reversible through lifestyle change.

Our HRC-funded diabetes research project builds on strong international and local evidence showing that therapeutic carbohydrate reduction (TCR) is a safe and effective dietary approach. The efficacy of TCR is well established globally and in New Zealand — it reliably improves blood sugar control, reduces or eliminates the need for medications, supports weight loss, and can even achieve diabetes remission.

Our project takes the next step: using implementation science to see how well this approach works in real-world primary care. We are focused on its effectiveness in diverse communities and the feasibility of scaling it across the health system.

We are re-imagining primary care in New Zealand through a holistic, three-part model that:

• Embeds health coaches into clinics to drive sustainable behaviour change.
• Puts lifestyle medicine and whole-food nutrition at the centre, with medication as support rather than the focus.
• Provides culturally responsive, community-driven support.

With government funding secured, Te Ngako Oranga is expanding to support more practices and communities nationwide — aiming to transform how we prevent and treat type 2 diabetes in Aotearoa, NZ.

1. Redefining Diabetes Care: Evaluating the Impact of a Carbohydrate-Reduction, Health Coach Approach Model in New Zealand
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39741965/
2. The application of carbohydrate-reduction in general practice: A medical audit
   https://journalofmetabolichealth.org/index.php/jmh/article/view/86