The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 44 No. 5 - Nutrition as Medicine; Addressing Sarcopenia and Diabetes

Intensifying Lifestyle Management in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Dr Tan Hwee Huan
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 44 No 5 - Nutrition as Medicine; Addressing Sarcopenia and Diabetes
5 - 10
1 October 2018
0377-5305
Lifestyle management (LSM) is a fundamental aspect of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management. Intensifying LSM beyond basic nutritional and exercise advice has been challenging for most doctors as LSM in diabetes is complex. To help navigate through the complexity of LSM in diabetes care, this article introduces an acronym DESMM as an easy-to-remember guide that encompasses most if not all the components of diabetes LSM. DESMM stands for Diet, Exercise, Support/Stress, Monitoring and Medicine. DESMM offers a structured guidance to enable consistent evaluation of the lifestyle of the patient with the intention of intensifying LSM.