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MP loses seven stone after diabetes diagnosis

Tess de la Mare
BBC News, West of England
BBC A man in his 30s with ginger hair and a ginger beard wearing a navy blue suit stands in front of a brown brick wall. BBC
Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre has lost seven stone (44.4kg) since January

An MP who has lost seven stone (44.4kg) since January after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has said he wants to show others it is possible to put the disease into remission.

Labour's Alex McIntyre, who was elected MP for Gloucester in the 2024 general election, said the diagnosis was "the wake up call I needed" and he is now resetting his relationship with food.

The 32-year-old is urging anyone carrying "a bit of extra timber" to get tested for the condition, and consider ing the NHS rapid weight loss programme.

"The real privilege of being an MP is that I can talk about my diabetes publicly to help other people with it too," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

About 34,000 people in Gloucestershire are living with type 2 diabetes, according to NHS data.

The condition occurs when a person cannot make enough of the hormone insulin which helps the body use glucose for energy, leading to levels of glucose in the blood becoming dangerously high.

One of the primary causes of type 2 diabetes is obesity, and complications can include cardiovascular disease, sight loss, nerve damage and even amputation in extreme cases.

But making lifestyle changes to lose weight can put the disease into remission.

A man in a dark suit and red tie stands in a pedestrianised shopping street. He has short hair and a beard.
The MP said he had always struggled with his weight

Those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in their 30s lose an average of 16 years from their life span.

"For me, 16 years is the difference between seeing my son growing up and getting married one day or not," McIntyre said.

"It's also been a real opportunity to look at my relationship with food and think 'what do I want my life to look like over the next 20 years":[]}