Getting started on the Second Nature NDPP programme

Welcome to the Second Nature NDPP programme! This guide will help you access the app, explore key learning materials, and understand what to expect from the programme.

NDPP stands for the National Diabetes Prevention Programme. It’s a free, evidence-based programme designed to support people who are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The focus of the programme is on long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes. This isn’t about quick fixes or strict rules - it’s about making realistic changes that fit into everyday life and support your health over time.

The programme is delivered through the Second Nature app. While the official programme lasts nine months, that's only how long you'll receive health coach support. After that, you'll keep access to the app and all its features for life. Each week, you’ll have access to daily articles you can read or listen to, along with access to tools like tracking and meal planning to help you put things into practice.

You’ll also have ongoing one-to-one support from a health coach, who is a registered Nutritionist or Dietitian, to guide and support you throughout the programme.

Because the NDPP is funded by the NHS, it’s completely free to take part. Places are limited, which is why we encourage people to engage in a way that works for them and helps them get the most from the support available.

The main goal is to help you lower your blood sugar levels, reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and improve your overall long-term health.

We take a holistic approach, supporting small, sustainable habits around food, movement, sleep, and mindset. Many people who achieve great results spend as little as five minutes a day using the app. Let's get started!

If you haven’t already, you can download the Second Nature mobile app here:

3. Enter the same email address that you used when you signed up.

After that, tap ‘Next’,

4. Click I'll sign in with a password

5. If you’re not sure what your password is, no worries - just tap ‘Forgot password?’ and you’ll get an email with the steps to reset it.

Once you’re logged in, you’re ready to get started.

When you first log in, the app will guide you through a short onboarding to personalise your experience. You’ll see what’s included, like one-to-one coaching, group support, tools, and progress tracking for the next nine months.

You’ll also be asked to allow notifications and Bluetooth. Notifications keep you on track with the programme, and Bluetooth lets your scales sync automatically. If your scales haven’t arrived yet, don’t worry - you can still tap ‘Allow’ and set everything up, then connect them later.

You'll then see your home screen, where you can set your first weight goal. To do so, go to ‘Set up your weight goal.’ First, confirm your current weight. (You can accept the number, change it, or wait until you weigh yourself.) The app will then suggest a first weight goal based on your starting weight.

You can accept the suggested goal, adjust it, or choose ‘I don’t want to lose weight’ if weightloss isn't your focus.

If the goal feels big, the app can break it down into smaller milestones, which is optional.

Remember, this programme isn’t about pressure or perfection. Your goals can be updated anytime, and your health coach is there to support you. This first step is just setting a starting point!

At the bottom of the app, you’ll see four icons: Today, Track, Chat, and Toolbox. These are the main buttons you’ll use to navigate the app. Let's walk through each one!

The Today page is your home for daily tasks, lessons, and habits. Each day, you’ll see what’s planned for you. It updates automatically to the current day, so you always know what to focus on. Completing tasks here helps you track your progress step by step.

You can also access the Settings from the Today page. Just tap the profile icon in the top right corner and select Settings. Here you can:

- Change the programme article language

- Update your preferred weight unit from kg, stone, or pounds

(The scales can only display in kg or pounds. So if you choose stones, the scales will show the reading in pounds, and then your app will convert and display this in stone and pounds.)

You’ll also find your privacy settings here. Allowing you to choose whether your location, bio, weight progress, and interests are visible only to you, your group, or everyone.

The app will automatically stay logged in for you to easily access and open each day. However, if you'd like to log out you can do so from the Settings page.

Habits are the small daily actions we can take to build a healthy lifestyle, like going for a morning walk, or drinking a glass of water when you wake up.

You can track your habits in the app using our tracker. You can choose whether you'd like to do this habit every day or just on certain days of the week.

Once you set a habit, it will last for 12 weeks (after which it will disappear), and you can tick it off each day on the Today page. But if you miss a day, don’t worry - you can also click on past dates and mark them as done retrospectively.

You can also create your own personalised habits if the app doesn’t already include the ones you want to focus on. This way, the programme works around your lifestyle and goals, rather than the other way around.

At the bottom of the Today page, you’ll find your weight and steps summary.

From here, you can:

- Change your weight goal and track your progress towards it

- Adjust your daily step target to suit your routine. It can be as low or as high as you like, what matters most is that it feels achievable and works for you.

And right at the bottom you can explore the Stories section, where you can read real experiences from other Second Nature members. We’ll post a question, and you’re welcome to share your own story or simply browse for a bit of motivation and inspiration.

Next up is the Track page - this is where you can log your weight and step readings.

Throughout the programme, the NHS asks for three official weight readings at set points: month 3, month 6, and month 9. Don’t worry, we’ll send reminders in the app and by email when it’s time, so you’ll know exactly when to record your reading.

You’re also welcome to weigh in as often as you like outside of these three points. If you’re unsure about how often you’d like to track your progress, your health coach can give you advice.

Even if you don’t need to lose weight, it’s important to weigh in every three months to stay on the programme and keep your place. Think of it as a simple check-in to help you stay on track.

Here are some guides on how to sync your scales or add/delete readings manually:

You can also sync your personal tracker if you have one.

The Second Nature app currently supports data syncing from either Apple Health or Google Fit, depending on whether the device you're using is Apple or Android

If you sync your tracker data to Apple Health or Google fit, our app will be able to retrieve the data from there. From more guidance on this, click here.

You’ll have access to your private chat for the full nine months of the programme, where you can speak directly with your health coach.

It’s worth making the most of this, because having a qualified Nutritionist or Dietitian on hand is incredibly valuable. Whenever you have a question, big or small, just pop it into the chat, and your coach will be there to support you.

A couple of things to note: coaches are available Monday to Friday, and they'll aim to respond to all questions within 48 hours.

For any health or nutrition questions, your coach is the best person to reach out to via this chat.

If you have a technical issue or need help with the app, you can contact customer support by scrolling to the bottom of the chat page and clicking ‘Speak to customer support’

You can either send us a message or search for your answer in our help articles.

The Toolbox page is where you can find lots of different resources to help you along the way.

Firstly, you can find all of your programme articles. So if you ever miss a day, you can simply head to the Toolbox and catch up on any previous days or weeks at your own pace.

The Prepare phase takes place the week before your programme officially starts - we call this Week 0.

During this week, there are five articles for you to read through. These will help you understand more about the programme and give you an idea of what to expect in the weeks ahead.

You can find the Prepare section by clicking on the Toolbox > Programme articles > Prepare, and then clicking into each one.

After the Prepare phase, you’ll move on to the Core phase starting in Week 1.

You’ll find this listed just below the Prepare articles in the Toolbox. Each week, six articles will unlock day by day.

And if you’d rather listen than read, you also have the option to play an audio version of each article.

If any articles stand out and you’d like to come back to them later, just click the ‘Save’ heart at the top.

These will then appear in your Saved Articles list, making it easy to find them again whenever you need.

You'll find over 400 recipes in the Toolbox. You can add them to your weekly meal planner, save your favourites for later, or even share them with friends and family. Many recipes also include helpful video demonstrations.

There’s a handy Cooking Mode too, just under the recipe name, which keeps your screen awake while you follow the steps.

Any recipes you save will appear under the Saved recipes tab, making them easy to find whenever you need them. Just press the little heart under the recipe title.

Then we have the meal planner. You can use the meal planner to schedule your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week. You can either let the auto-generate feature create a plan using Second Nature recipes, or you can swap in any meals you prefer. You can even create your own recipes and add them directly to your planner.

Once your meal plan has been created, you'll be able to access it from either the Today page or the Toolbox.

Here’s a helpful guide on making the most of the meal planner:

The food diary function within the app allows you to keep a daily record of your food/fluid intake.

If you've eaten a meal from your meal planner, you can simply select 'I ate this' in the meal planner tool, which will automatically upload to your Food diary.

Here's a guide on how to use this tool:

You'll have the opportunity to send your food diary for review to your health coach at two points of the programme - this will be in week 2 and 7 of the programme.

Submission is open:

This isn't compulsory, but can be handy if you'd like extra guidance on your meals.