More Than Half of Young Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Went into Remission After Following This Program

A strict diet and supervised exercise put more than half of younger adults with type 2 diabetes into remission within six months, according to a small clinical trial.

In the trial, 27 of 50 adults (54 percent) on an intensive diet-and-exercise program stopped needing glucose-lowering medication while keeping blood sugar below the diabetes threshold for at least three months. Only 4 percent of those who continued regular treatment achieved remission. The scientists stress that this is remission rather than a cure, as blood sugar can rise again if people return to their old habits.

The study recruited 96 adults at centres in Britain and Canada, with an average age of 38, all living with obesity and diagnosed no more than six years earlier. For the first 12 weeks, participants ate 800 to 900 calories a day, using only meal-replacement products for two weeks and then one ordinary meal daily. From week three they attended two supervised sessions a week combining mostly walking with strength training, and in the final 12 weeks they gradually returned to regular food with less supervision.

The intervention group lost 7.5 kilograms more than the usual-care group. Scans showed less fat in the liver, pancreas and muscles, muscle volume was largely kept, and blood pressure fell. The programme was very demanding: only 40 percent met all adherence criteria, and 43 of 50 participants reported problems such as headaches, constipation, dizziness or fatigue. The findings were published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

Key points

• Trial of 96 adults in Britain and Canada, average age 38, all with obesity.
• Intensive group: 27 of 50 (54 percent) reached remission at six months, versus 4 percent of usual care.
• Regimen: 800 to 900 calories daily, then supervised walking and strength training.
• Intervention group lost 7.5 kg more than usual care, with muscle mass largely preserved.
• Only 40 percent met adherence criteria; researchers stopped follow-up at six months.

Why it matters

Younger people with type 2 diabetes often face faster progression and earlier complications, so a possible route to remission is significant. Whether the benefit lasts beyond six months, given the risk of weight regain, remains unknown.