Diabetes Awareness Week 2026: 10 Workplace Ideas to Support Your Team
- Steph Ley (BSc, DipION, mBANT, mANP, mGNC)
- May 5
- 10 min read
If a third of your team are on the path to diabetes and most don't know it, Diabetes Awareness Week 2026 isn't just another awareness date on the calendar — it's one of the most commercially important wellbeing moments of the year.
What Is Diabetes Awareness Week?
Diabetes Week is an annual awareness campaign run by Diabetes UK, the UK's leading diabetes charity.
Each year it shines a spotlight on the realities of living with diabetes — and in recent years, the focus has increasingly shifted to prevention and early detection.
This year in 2026 it is all about reducing the stigma around diabetes, drawing attention to the negative attitudes around blame and judgement people with diabetes often experience.
When Is Diabetes Week 2026?
Diabetes Week 2026 runs from 8–14 June.
Why Should Employers Care About Diabetes in 2026?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: diabetes is no longer a niche health issue. It's quietly sitting in your workforce right now — often undetected.
As a workplace nutritionist, the number one health issue I see in today’s workplace is disrupted blood glucose balance. It’s actually the very first pillar of the workplace nutrition framework I use when supporting teams.
The coffee, sandwich & biscuit culture seen in so many offices is taking it’s toll behind the scenes. So many teams I see are stuck on this blood glucose rollercoaster manifesting in lulls in energy, poor productivity and persistent brain fog.
UK businesses have a real opportunity to start supporting the metabolic heath of their staff through the food environment, culture and training they provide.
Over 5 million people in the UK are currently living with diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed combined)
1 in 3 Britons are now on a trajectory to be directly affected by diabetes or pre-diabetes – that’s a third of your team!
Type 2 diabetes is largely driven by diet, lifestyle and chronic stress — which means it's largely preventable, and in early stages, reversible
That last point is the one most people, including your employees, don't know. And it's exactly why Diabetes Week is such a powerful moment to open up the conversation at work.
The Business Case for Supporting Staff with Diabetes
Beyond the wellbeing angle, there's a very real commercial one. Poor blood glucose balance doesn't just affect people with a diabetes diagnosis, it quietly undermines the performance of employees who don't even know they're at risk.
Unstable blood glucose & insulin resistance means lower energy, poorer concentration and reduced ability to focus throughout the work. day.
Research found that fatigue is the single most common symptom in both pre-diabetes and diabetes groups, reported by a huge 88–89% of participants — yet most employees with pre-diabetes don't even know they have it.
Diabetics are also a lot more likely to experience more frequent sick days and higher long-term healthcare needs.
A UK-specific study published in BMC Public Health showed that People with diabetes have a sickness absence rate 2–3 times greater than the general population
Diabetes Week isn't just a tick-box exercise. Done well, it's an investment in your team's long-term health and your organisation's performance.
Which Employees Are Most at Risk of Diabetes?
While anyone can develop Type 2 diabetes, some groups within your workforce face a significantly elevated risk:
Night shift and rotating shift workers are a particularly high-risk group.
Research from the UK Biobank — one of the largest studies of its kind, tracking over 270,000 participants — found that employees working rotating night shifts were up to 44% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than day workers.
Disrupted circadian rhythms impair the body's ability to regulate blood glucose balance and increase insulin resistance over time — meaning the body has to produce more and more insulin just to keep blood glucose stable. Left unchecked, this is the fast track to a Type 2 diagnosis.
Highly stressed employees also face a greater risk than most people realise.
Chronic psychological stress triggers sustained elevation of cortisol, which in turn raises blood glucose levels — independent of diet. Research published in PLOS Medicine found a significant graded association between perceived stress and Type 2 diabetes onset. In other words, you can actually give yourself diabetes through stress alone.
This is why our Workplace Stress & Burnout workshop addresses blood sugar regulation alongside cortisol — the two are deeply connected.
Other higher-risk groups to be aware of in your workforce:
Employees from South Asian, Black African and Black Caribbean backgrounds (significantly higher genetic risk)
Employees over 40
Those in largely sedentary roles e.g. desk-based workers, drivers.
10 Engaging Workplace Activities To Support Your Staff During Diabetes Week & Beyond
Right. Here's what you can actually do to support the metabolic health of your teams— practical, non-preachy, and employee-friendly.
1. Pop-Up Blood Glucose Testing Clinic 🩸
There is nothing quite as valuable as getting a reality check as to what is going on with your metabolic health.
Why not partner with an occupational health provider or local pharmacy to set up a free, confidential blood glucose testing station during Diabetes Awareness Week.
It usually involves a finger-prick blood glucose or HbA1c test to check longer-term glucose levels. It is quick (results can be given in 5-10 mins), non-invasive, and it may just be eye-opening for employees who've never had their levels checked.
Why it works: It removes the barrier of making a GP appointment. Many people discover pre-diabetes this way for the first time — and early detection is everything.
Tip: It may be a good idea to have a nutritionist or other expert on hand to answer any questions and to give reassuring & actionable advice. A workplace nutritionist could also offer one-to-one consultations with your staff to give specific personalised guidance on how to appropriately manage blood glucose for them.
2. An Interactive Nutrition Workshop: "Sugar Smart" 🍎
Not a lecture. Not a PowerPoint with stock photos of salads.
An engaging, myth-busting session that shows your employees how their ‘healthy’ lunch may actually be sabotaging their blood glucose— and gives them practical swaps they'll actually use.
Our corporate nutrition workshops include live polls, interactive games (our "Play Your Carbs Right” sugar challenge is always a highlight).
Every participant leaves with a digital toolkit & recipes they can use immediately.
Workshop angle ideas for Diabetes Week:
"The Blood Sugar Balancing Act" — understanding blood glucose balance, insulin resistance and the energy crash
"Quick & Balanced: Easy Low Carb Lunches That Keep Blood Sugar Stable"
"Snack Smarter" — a practical guide to lower carb, diabetes-friendly snacking at work
"The 3pm Fix" - Managing blood glucose to overcome the all-too-relatable 3pm dip.
Available in-person across London, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire — and online workshops & webinars UK-wide. Check out our range of workshops & build your own package & price.
3. Sugar Detective: The Kitchen Guessing Game 🔍🍬
Set up a display in the office kitchen or breakout area on Monday morning of Diabetes Week.
Line up 8–10 everyday foods your team actually eat with the nutritional info hidden.
The challenge: how many sugar cubes are hiding in a single serving?
Common office foods that are surprisingly high in sugar:
Granola (often 6–8 cubes per bowl — nearly 7 chocolate digestives!)
Flavoured fruit yoghurt (up to 5–6 cubes in a "healthy" low-fat pot)
Porridge pots (can have up to 4+ cubes)
Ploughman's sandwiches (sometimes up to 4 sugar cubes in your sarnie!)
Baked beans (2.5 cubes in a standard serving)
A supermarket smoothie (8–10 cubes — more than a can of Coke)
Oat milk (naturally higher in sugar than dairy — surprises everyone)
A 'healthy' cereal bar (4–6 cubes — often worse than a Kit Kat)
Flavoured water (3–4 cubes — people assume it's basically water)
n.b 1 sugar cube is the equivalent to ~4g
Employees write their guesses on a sticky note and stick them on the product. Reveal the answers at the end of the week — the person who guesses the most correct wins a spot in the wellbeing raffle (see below)!
Why it works: It's visual, tactile, social and actually a little bit shocking. It encourages people to gather round and invites conversations around hidden sugars and reading labels.
And unlike a poster or email, it creates a real memory — the moment someone realised their "healthy" breakfast had 8 teaspoons of sugar in it.
For remote teams you can run a digital version — share product images on Slack or Teams and ask people to guess in the thread before revealing the answers.
P.S. We run a live version of this ‘Play Your Carbs Right’ in our corporate nutrition workshops — it's consistently the moment that gets the biggest reaction in the room. If you'd like us to bring Sugar Detective to your team as part of a full Diabetes Week session, get in touch here →
Some examples from our 'Play Your Carbs' Right game, comparing how different foods impact our blood glucose:
4. Diabetes-Friendly Snack Station 🥜
Transform the breakout kitchen or kitchen area for the week. Swap the usual biscuit tin and vending machine options for a curated selection of blood glucose-balancing, lower carb snacks — with little labels explaining why each one made the cut.
Good options to include:
Mixed nuts and seeds (high protein, low carb, great for insulin resistance). These Boundless seed mixes are always popular.
Oatcakes with nut butter (cashew nut butter & pistachio nut butter seem to go down a treat!)
Hummus and vegetable crudités (perfect mix of fibre, healthy fats & protein- the golden trio for managing diabetes)
Roasted chickpeas
Berries with Greek yoghurt (lower sugar than most fruit, blood glucose-friendly)
Cheese & olives
Dark chocolate (70%+)
Boiled eggs (zero carb, high satiety)
>>>>>Check out my list of top healthy snacks you can pick up from your local supermarket – all diabetic-friendly & with nutritional benefits explained.
Want a hand? We can come and set-up a diabetes-friendly tasting table in your office – get in touch for a quote.
5. Canteen / Kitchen "Dish of the Week" 🍽️
If you have a canteen or shared kitchen space, why not work with catering to feature a daily diabetes-friendly dish — with a simple explanation of why it's been chosen (think: high fibre, low glycemic index, lower carb, high omega-3, blood glucose balance supporting).
You could offer recipe cards alongside this which may spark a bit of inspiration to cook differently at home.
6. Lunchtime Walking Group 🚶
June is the perfect time to get outside. A regular lunchtime walking group during Diabetes Week costs nothing and delivers a surprising amount, both physically and mentally.
The science: A short walk after eating has been shown to significantly reduce post-meal blood glucose spikes. A 2022 study in Sports Medicine found that even just 2–5 minutes of light walking after meals lowered blood glucose by up to 30% compared to sitting.
Outdoor light exposure also regulates circadian rhythms — particularly important for shift workers.
Make it social, keep it relaxed, and it may become something that sticks around.
7. Free Resources Around the Office 📋
Pop some beautifully designed, non-preachy resources in communal areas:
A simple "Know Your Numbers" blood glucose reference guide
A 5-day blood glucose balance meal plan (lower carb, higher protein and fibre)
A FAQ card: "What are the warning signs of pre-diabetes?"
A "Low Carb Lunch in 10 Minutes" vibrant recipe cards
A quick explainer: "What is insulin resistance, do I have it & what are the top 3 things I can change to improve it?"
A poster to help reduce the stigma around people with diabetes
We create bespoke, branded wellbeing resources — designed to feel premium rather than clinical.
8. A Stress & Burnout Workshop — Yes, Really 🧠
This one surprises people. But as we mentioned above, chronic stress is a genuine pathway to Type 2 diabetes.
Sustained cortisol elevation leads to glucose continually being pumped into the blood as a response, which can subsequently lead to insulin resistance.
So diabetes is a lot more than just about diet, especially in the workplace.
Our Workplace Stress & Burnout workshop — "When There's Too Much On Your Plate" — addresses both the nutritional and physiological sides of stress, including which specific foods and minerals help to lower cortisol and build genuine resilience. It's a powerful complement to any diabetes awareness activity.
9. Wellbeing Raffle 🎁
Who doesn't love a prize? Run a simple wellbeing raffle during Diabetes Week to drive engagement with your other activities — attendees at the workshop, people who try the snack station, employees who join the walking group all get a ticket.
Prize bundle ideas:
A Riverford or Abel & Cole veg box subscription (1–3 months)
A diabetes-friendly recipe book bundle (titles like The Doctors Kitchen or Ottolenghi Simple work brilliantly)
A meal planner and food journal
A healthy snack hamper
A guided personalised nutrition consultation
Keeps energy up across the week and rewards the employees who engage.
10. Nutri-Bulletins: Your 5-Day Intranet Campaign 📬
Rather than one big email that gets ignored, consider running a daily intranet or internal comms feature across the week — each one short, visual and genuinely interesting.
Monday: "Did You Know? The Pre-Diabetes Stat That Might Surprise You"
Tuesday: "5 Low Carb Swaps That Actually Make a Difference to Blood Glucose Balance"
Wednesday: "Today's Recipe: 10-Minute Blood Sugar-Balancing Lunch"
Thursday: "Breakfast like a Boss (without the mid-morning crash)"
Friday: "Snacks for steady energy (that actually taste great!)"
We can write and design your full Nutri-Bulletin series as part of our corporate wellness content service — branded, ready to copy and paste, and written with the same evidence-based, non-preachy tone your team will actually read.
Want Support Making Diabetes Week Actually Land?
Whether you've got a week to pull something together or you're planning ahead, we can help you make Diabetes Week 2026 genuinely impactful — not just a well-meaning email with a Diabetes UK logo.
Here's what we can create for your team:
🎤 A bespoke interactive workshop, webinar or lunch & learn— live, recorded or on-demand, tailored to your workforce (shift workers? high-stress team? Red Bull addicts? sedentary roles? We'll build it around them)
One-to-one nutrition consultations – to offer personalised guidance and support to individual employees with diabetes or other metabolic issues.
📋 Branded educational wellbeing resources — meal planners, FAQ guides, snack guides, recipe packs
📬 A full Nutri-Bulletin content series — daily intranet content written and designed for you
🥗 Diabetes-friendly recipes specific to your team's real-life challenges such as long days, frequent travel, minimal budgets or lack of time
We work with teams across London, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire in person, and UK-wide online — including organisations like Cancer Research UK, DP World Tour and University of the Arts London.
Or explore our full range of corporate nutrition workshops and services to see what's possible.
Just want some free resources?! Check out our Free Workplace Wellbeing Toolkit available here.
About the Author
Steph Ley BSc, DipION, mBANT, mANP, mGNC Corporate Nutritionist & Founder, The Nutrition Advantage
Steph is a qualified nutritionist and corporate wellness specialist helping UK organisations improve employee health, energy and performance through evidence-based nutrition.
She works with teams across London, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire — and online UK-wide — delivering workshops, webinars and bespoke wellbeing programmes for organisations including Cancer Research UK, DP World Tour and University of the Arts London.
Steph holds a Diploma from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION), BSc in Management & Leadership and is a registered member of BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine).
Blood glucose balance and metabolic health are at the core of her workplace nutrition framework — because when energy is stable, everything else follows.
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