Intensive diet and exercise program put over half of young adults into diabetes remission

Researchers in Britain and Canada conducted a clinical trial to see if a strict diet and exercise routine could put type 2 diabetes into remission for younger adults.

The study involved 96 adults with an average age of 38 who also lived with obesity. The participants were divided into a group receiving an intensive intervention and a group receiving standard care.

The intervention group followed a very restrictive diet of 800 to 900 calories a day for the first 12 weeks, which included meal replacement products and one ordinary meal a day. Starting in week three, these participants attended two supervised sessions of aerobic activity and strength training each week, plus one independent session. For the final 12 weeks, the group gradually returned to regular food while continuing to exercise with less supervision.

After six months, 54 percent of the intervention group achieved remission, meaning their blood sugar fell below the diabetes threshold without medication for at least three months. In contrast, only 4 percent of those receiving usual care reached remission. The intervention group lost an average of 7.5 kilograms more than the standard care group and showed improvements in grip strength, fitness, and blood pressure.

While 43 of 50 people in the intervention group reported side effects like headaches or fatigue, the researchers noted that the program successfully preserved muscle mass during rapid weight loss.