Can You “Un-Give” Yourself Type 2 Diabetes? A Study Says Yes

You’ve heard of how someone can “give themselves” type 2 diabetes. What’s very important is that you may be able to remit your type 2 diabetes.

A six-month diet and exercise program helped more than half of younger adults with type 2 diabetes achieve remission, according to a clinical trial published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas.

Only 4% of participants receiving standard care achieved the same result.

The study involved adults under 45 with obesity and early-onset type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that combining calorie restriction with aerobic and resistance training produced substantial weight loss while helping preserve muscle.

Early Onset Diabetes: Do Not Ignore

Type 2 diabetes diagnosed at a younger age is often associated with faster deterioration in blood sugar control and earlier complications.

Previous studies have shown that very low calorie diets can sometimes bring diabetes into remission.

Remission means blood sugar falls below the diabetes threshold without medications used for lowering glucose (blood sugar), although this doesn’t mean the condition has been permanently cured.

Researchers wanted to see whether adding structured exercise could improve those results.

The trial included 96 adults with an average age of 38.

Fifty participants followed an intensive lifestyle program, while 46 received standard medical care.

For the first 12 weeks, the intervention group consumed 800 to 900 calories daily and completed supervised aerobic and resistance workouts twice weekly, along with one independent exercise session.

Participants then transitioned to a weight-maintenance diet and continued exercising independently for another 12 weeks.

After 24 weeks, 27 of the 50 participants in the intensive program had achieved diabetes remission, compared with just two people receiving standard care.

The intervention group also lost considerably more weight. 

Most of the additional weight loss came from body fat.

Side effects were more common with the restrictive diet. Forty-three intervention participants reported at least one, including constipation, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.

Most occurred early in the program and eventually resolved. No severe adverse events were reported.

Researchers also wanted to prevent rapid weight loss from causing excessive muscle loss.

Resistance training was included to help preserve muscle while reducing body fat.

This is important because repeated weight loss and regain can sometimes lead to losing lean tissue while regaining proportionally more fat.

Study Limitations

The trial lasted only six months. Longer studies are needed to determine whether participants can maintain their weight loss, muscle mass and diabetes remission after returning to everyday routines.

Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages and abilities for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health. 

Top image: Magnific