Low-Energy Diet Plus Structured Exercise Reverses Early Onset Diabetes

A new study has found that a combination of a low-energy diet and structured exercise reversed early onset type 2 diabetes in about half of participants.
The research focuses on adults under 45 years old who developed type 2 diabetes early in life. The authors presented their findings at theEuropean Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting, held September 28 to October 2.
Type 2 diabetesis a condition in which the body becomes less able to respond toinsulinor has difficulty producing it, leading to elevated blood sugar and low energy. If untreated or not properly managed, it can lead toserious complicationssuch as vision problems, kidney disease, and nerve damage.
These findings offer hope for better treatment options for people with this condition, which the authors say is known for causingfaster health declinewhen compared to later-onset diabetes.
The study was conducted at three centers in England and Canada, linked with the University of Leicester, McGill University, and the University of Alberta.
Researchers selected adults ages 18 to 45 who had early onset type 2 diabetes andobesitybut were not using insulin therapy.
A total of 96 participants were randomly divided into two groups: one received usual care, and the other took part in a program combining a low-energy diet with supervised and independent exercise.
The intervention group followed a strict diet of 800-900 calories per day, consisting of 30% protein, 50%carbohydrates, and 20% fat. Participants were encouraged to drink at least 2 liters of calorie-free fluids daily and were given a fiber-basedlaxativeif needed.
For the first two weeks, the diet was entirely based onmeal replacements(Optifast). From week 3 to week 12, the same calorie limit was maintained, with greater food variety, including one meal per day made from regular foods such as protein sources, one portion of fruit, and two portions of non-starchy vegetables.
The exercise program involved supervised aerobic andresistance trainingtwice a week and one session of independent exercise per week during the first 12 weeks. After this, from weeks 13 to 24, participants followed a weight-maintenance diet and exercised independently.
Participants stopped allglucose– and blood pressure-lowering medications at the start of the diet unless they had a specific kidney condition calledalbuminuria(high levels of a protein called albumin in the urine).
The main goal of the study was to determine how many participants achieved remission of their diabetes after 24 weeks. Remission was defined as having ablood sugar levelbelow the diabetes threshold (measured by glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c less than 6.5%) and not taking anydiabetes medicationfor at least 12 weeks.
The study also examined secondary outcomes such as fitness levels, body composition, and heart health.
After 24 weeks, 54% of participants in the diet and exercise group achieved remission, compared with only 4% in the usual care group.
They also lost weight. The diet and exercise group lost an average of 8.4 kilograms (about 18.5 pounds), while the usual care group lost only 1.2 kilograms (about 2.6 pounds).
After adjusting for various factors, the diet-and-exercise group lost about 7.5 kilograms more than the control group.
Additionally, most of this weight loss was fat, with about 6.7 kilograms of fat lost at 24 weeks, which the researchers note is important for improving diabetes.
According to theresearchers, the intervention helped preserve muscle mass, which is usually lost during weight loss. This is significant because maintaining muscle is important for long-term health, strength, and metabolism.
They further highlighted that early onsettype 2 diabetescan cause serious health problems at a young age.
However, their study shows that a combined approach of diet and exercise can not only help people lose weight and improve health but can also lead to real remission of diabetes, without needing medication.
This is important because early onset type 2 diabetes usually worsens quickly and is harder to manage than diabetes that starts later in life.
The researchers additionally believe their approach could be especially helpful for younger adults who may be planning to have a child, as managing diabetes early is critical for health during and after pregnancy.
The study’s success in a multi-ethnic population also adds to its significance, showing the program could work for diverse groups.
The researchers noted that most people in the diet-and-exercise group experienced side effects early in the program, including constipation, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. However, these were mostly mild and resolved over time.
Avery Zenker, a registered dietitian and medical writer, explained the importance of this work. “We have evidence that type 2 diabetes doesn’t have to be an inevitably progressive disease,” Zenker told Healthline.
“This can give hope for people with diabetes and help empower them to make impactful lifestyle changes.”
Zenker, who was not involved in the study, added that type 2 diabetes remission is not only possible but more likely in younger people who tend to have a shorter disease duration and a less complicated health history.
Jennifer Pallian, BSc, a registered dietitian and founder of Foodess, who wasn’t involved in the research, said that you can put these findings into action right now.
First, you can start a lower-calorie diet. “A reasonable target used in the research was to reducedaily calorie intakeby about500–750 calories, with the goal of losing at least 5% of starting body weight,” she told Healthline.
Zenker noted there are other factors to consider besides the number of calories. “There’s a big difference between a low calorie diet that’s predominantly whole foods compared to one that’s mostly ultra-processed and nutrient-poor,” she said.
«تەبىئىي يېمەكلىكلەر، يۇقىرى تالالىق يېمەكلىكلەر ۋە دەرىجىدىن تاشقىرى پىششىقلاپ ئىشلەنگەن يېمەكلىكلەرنى ئىستېمال قىلىشنى ئازايتىش قاتارلىق باشقا تەۋسىيەلەرنىمۇ ئويلىشىش تولىمۇ مۇھىم.»
پاللىيان يېمەك-ئىچمەك ئادىتىنى ئۆزگەرتىش بىلەن بىرگە، ھەپتىسىگە كەم دېگەندە 150 مىنۇت ئوتتۇراھال سىجىللىقتىكى ھەرىكەت بىلەن شۇغۇللىنىشنى تەۋسىيە قىلدى. ئۇ يەنە مۇنداق دېدى: «پىلاننى ئۆلچەگىلى بولىدىغان قىلىپ تۈزۈشمۇ پايدىلىق. ئېنىق ئوزۇقلۇق ۋە ھەرىكەت نىشانلىرىنى بەلگىلەڭ، نېمىنى ۋە قانچىلىك يەيدىغانلىقىڭىزنى كۆزىتىپ تۇرۇڭ ھەمدە جىسمانىي ھەرىكەتلىرىڭىزنىمۇ خاتىرىلەپ مېڭىڭ.»
پاللىيان پىلاندا چىڭ تۇرۇش قىيىن بولغان ئەھۋاللارغا دىققەت قىلىشنى تەۋسىيە قىلدى، بۇ ئارقىلىق بەلگىلىك قانۇنىيەتلەرنى بايقاپ، مۇناسىپ تەڭشەشلەرنى ئېلىپ بارغىلى بولىدۇ.
زېنكېر يەنە كىچىك ئىشلاردىن باشلاشنىڭ مۇھىملىقىنى ھەمدە تەنھەرىكەت زالىغا بېرىشنى چېنىقىشنىڭ بىردىنبىر يولى دەپ قاراپ قالماسلىق كېرەكلىكىنى ئەسكەرتتى.
ئۇ مۇنداق دېدى: «كۈندىلىك ھەرىكەتنى كۆپەيتىشنىڭ بەزى ئاددىي ئۇسۇللىرى ئەتىگەندە قىسقا ۋاقىتلىق بەدەن ئېغىرلىقىنى ئاساس قىلغان چېنىقىشنى قوشۇش، تاماق يەپ بولغاندىن كېيىن قىسقا ۋاقىت پىيادە مېڭىش ياكى ئۆيدە مۇزىكا بىلەن ئۇسسۇل ئويناشنى ئۆز ئىچىگە ئالىدۇ. ھەتتا قورۇ ئىشلىرى ياكى ئۆي تازىلاش قاتارلىق پائالىيەتلەرمۇ جىسمانىي ھەرىكەت ھېسابلىنىدۇ.»
ئاخىرىدا، پاللىيان قان قەنتى ۋە قان بېسىمىنى كۆزىتىپ تۇرۇش ئۈچۈن قەرەللىك ھالدا سەھىيە مۇتەخەسسىسلىرى بىلەن كۆرۈشۈپ تۇرۇشنى تەۋسىيە قىلدى. بۇ كۆرسەتكۈچلەر بەدەن ئېغىرلىقىنىڭ تۆۋەنلىشىگە ئەگىشىپ ياخشىلىنىشى مۇمكىن، بۇنداق ئەھۋالدا دوختۇرىڭىز دورا ئىشلىتىش پىلانىڭىزنى تەڭشىشىگە توغرا كېلىشى مۇمكىن.
مەنبە: Healthline | Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:33