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By organizing how the chronically ill acquire knowledge and skills to cope with their condition, Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) programs aim to effect significant changes in the bodily practices of this community. While the standards conveyed during educational workshops provide a framework for the daily practices of all participants, there remain distinct inequalities when considering the ability of participants to implement such changes. Focusing on programs for those with diabetes, and more specifically on the dietary changes required from them, this article shows that the appropriation of nutritional norms implies a work of self-transformation, the success of which depends on the social properties and trajectory of each participant. Educational programs can be seen as a way to convert participants belonging to the working class to a preventive logic. However, the impact of this process depends on certain pre-existing social conditions.