A 62-year-old mother from Swanley who was told to join WeightWatchers to help with her diabetes has nearly beaten her diagnosis altogether.

Tess Roberts had suffered terribly with type 2 diabetes up until recently when her nurse told her that her weight loss had put her in the pre-diabetic range.

Ms Roberts put her success down to a simple but healthier change to her normal diet, swapping jars and tins for homemade, fresh food made from scratch.

"Who would have thought that learning to cook could change my life," she said.

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Ms Roberts said that she was ready to give up on trying to lose weight after a number of diets had failed for her. She explained that her nurse encouraged her to join a wellness class.

"She said to me, ‘look, you have tried all the diets out there and not one has helped you lose weight and control your diabetes. How about we try a health care subscription to a WW Workshop where you will get help and support?’," she said.

She also said that years of working behind a desk in a bank in her younger days was a major detrimental factor on her health and that she failed to realise that until she started her classes.

Aside from swapping out her diet, Ms Roberts also got herself a dog which encouraged her to get more exercise and ultimately help deal with her condition.

She also described this news as "life-changing" for her and said she can't see herself slipping back into her old routine.

"I have been so ill in the past because of the diabetes that I will never allow myself to go back down that route.

"My goal for next year, is to lose a further 28lb and be completely diabetes free," she said.

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Ms Roberts also wants to encourage others with the disease to not give up and get people to see how simple it can be to make a change for the better.

"Reserving type 2 diabetes is not always hard and doesn't always require that we lose 10 stone, sometimes, 1 stone is all it takes," she said.

According to the NHS, around 90,000 people in Kent and Medway have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and suggest that simple lifestyle changes, such as good diet and exercise, can help combat the disease.