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Apps to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes

This week marks Diabetes Week, and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is supporting the cause with a digital campaign to encourage healthier living. As part of this, we’re promoting a range of free apps in our library to help prevent type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes like healthy eating and increased activity.

Below is a selection of free apps to help you start making healthy changes now.
Download one today.

NHS Weight Loss Plan

Carrying extra weight is a significant risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. NHS Weight Loss Plan is a free app to help you lose weight. It lets you:

  • Work out your healthy weight and a daily calorie target.

  • See your daily calorie intake, and a diary to track your daily food and exercise, plus weekly weight check-ins.

  • Over 12 weeks receive weekly tips and actions to keep you on track.

Icon for the NHS Weight Loss Plan application
NHS Weight Loss Plan

Healthy Living


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

74%

Level 2

Android

74%

Level 2

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NHS Food Scanner

Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, and avoiding high sugar foods, can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. NHS Food scanner, is a free app that shows you how much fat, sugar and salt is inside the food you want to eat. It lets you:

  • Scan a food or drink’s barcode to learn its nutritional values.

  • See the amount of sugar, saturated fat, salt and calories hidden inside.

  • Find healthier alternatives to the products you have scanned.

Icon for the NHS Food Scanner application
NHS Food Scanner

Healthy Living


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

74%

Level 2

Android

74%

Level 2

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NHS Active 10 walking tracker

Spending less time sitting down, moving more, and more time being active is key to preventing type 2 diabetes. Developed by the NHS, Active 10 walking tracker is a free app that helps you to include brisk walking into your daily routine. It lets you:

  • Track all your walking and how many minutes were brisk.

  • Use a Pace Checker, to see what brisk walking feels like.

  • Set goals to keep motivated and help you progress.

Icon for the NHS Active 10 Walking Tracker application
NHS Active 10 Walking Tracker

Healthy Living

Respiratory


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

78%

Level 2

Android

77%

Level 2

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KOKU (Keep On Keep Up)

KOKU is an app that provides tailored exercises and activities for older adults to improve mobility and bone health and optimise healthy ageing.

KOKU includes a fun onboarding, followed by daily exercises with clear demonstrations from the app's guide, Wilf. You can also track progress over time, including ability and confidence levels to personalise the strength and balance exercises for your benefit. You can also play evidence based games to improve health literacy.

Icon for the KOKU (Keep On Keep Up) application
KOKU (Keep On Keep Up)

Healthy Living

Musculoskeletal


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

83%

Level 2

Android

84%

Level 2

NHS Drink Free Days

Drinking too much alcohol is linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. So, staying within government guidelines is the safest way to drink alcohol. NHS Drink Free Days, is a free app for people who like a drink but want some support in tracking and cutting down on alcohol. It lets you:

  • Understand your typical week, including health risk level, calories, money spent and how you compare to others.

  • Each week, pledge which days will be your drink free days; then track and celebrate success.

  • Get tips, advice and reminders on how to manage your drinking goals

Icon for the NHS Drink Free Days application
NHS Drink Free Days

Healthy Living


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

76%

Level 3

Android

76%

Level 3

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NHS Quit Smoking

Smoking is also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. So, if you smoke, try giving up, as it is one of the most positive things you can do to improve your health. Made by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Quit Smoking is a free app that is a 28-day guide to help you stop smoking. It lets you:

  • Complete tasks that can help you beat your cravings and focus on your goals.

  • Get daily messages of support and advice.

  • Track how many days you have had without a cigarette and how much money you have saved.

Icon for the NHS Quit Smoking application
NHS Quit Smoking

Healthy Living


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

72%

Level 2

Android

72%

Level 2

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Smiling Mind

The Smiling Mind app has been developed by psychologists and educators, and downloaded by millions of people. It can support you with developing mental fitness skills, and can also help you:

  • Increase your sense of calm

  • Manage your technology use

  • Enhance the important relationships in your life

  • Reduce stress and anxiety

  • Improve mental health and wellbeing

Icon for the Smiling Mind: Mental Wellbeing application
Smiling Mind: Mental Wellbeing

Healthy Living

Mental Health


Entirely Free

Apple iOS

77%

Level 2

Android

77%

Level 2

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Discover more apps for your health and wellbeing

Our Health and Care Apps Library contains hundreds of tried and tested apps. Choose another app to help lower your risk of developing diabetes or find an app for other physical or mental health conditions.

Browse Our Health App Library

We’ve reviewed thousands of apps,so you can find the best.

Safe Health Apps

Our health app library only contains compliant health apps, so we can be sure that the ones we recommend meet digital and clinical safety standards. Please be assured we do not expect apps or the library to replace any services you may be using, but rather to complement them.