A dramatic change in diet could be the key to fighting type 2 diabetes according to a leading sports physician who adopted the approach himself.

Dr Peter Bruckner, who has worked with the Australian cricket team and English Premier League club Liverpool, began a “low-carb approach to eating” on the advice of a colleague and was amazed by the results.

“A few years ago I was having some health issues, I’d put on a lot of weight and I have a family history of type 2 diabetes so I was pretty keen to avoid that,” he told Tony Jones filling in for Neil Mitchell.

“I had a colleague who changed his diet quite dramatically and change his results, I was pretty sceptical at the time, but I tried it myself and it had a dramatic effect.

“In 13 weeks I lost 13 kilograms, I resolved all my abnormal blood tests, I was clearly prediabetic and I have no doubt that had I not made those changes I would now be a fully-fledged type 2 diabetic.”

1.7 million people in Australia have type 2 diabetes while a further 2 million have prediabetes.

The personal experience has motivated Dr Bruckner and a team of doctors to release an App called Defeat Diabetes to assist sufferers.

“That app basically takes you on a journey, there’s 13 steps on that journey, and each step has a bunch of videos, articles and action plans.

“But as well as that we have a whole bunch of recipes and meal plans.

“It’s pretty much a comprehensive program that if you come on board and follow that it will have very dramatic effects on your type 2 diabetes.”

Click PLAY to hear the interview with Tony Jones below 

Click PLAY to hear Professor Jonathan Shaw’s interview on Breakfast