Diet and exercise put early type 2 diabetes in remission for 54%
By Devansh TiwariKnowledge Systems Writer, Peepals Sanskriti
Representative image: JillWellington / Pixabay
A 96-person trial found a supervised low-calorie diet plus exercise put early-onset type 2 diabetes in remission for 54% at 24 weeks, versus 4% on usual care.
What Happened
A low-calorie diet combined with structured exercise put early-onset type 2 diabetes into remission in more than half of the people who followed it, according to a randomised trial published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas and announced by the University of Leicester in late October 2026. In the trial of 96 adults with early-onset type 2 diabetes and obesity, 27 of the 50 participants in the diet-and-exercise group, or 54%, were in remission after 24 weeks, compared with 4% of those who received usual care. The programme started with an 800 to 900 calorie-a-day diet and supervised exercise twice a week, followed by a weight-maintenance phase. The results had earlier been presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
Key Facts
- Study: randomised trial of 96 adults with early-onset type 2 diabetes and obesity, published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas.
- Result: remission at 24 weeks in 54% (27 of 50) of the diet-and-exercise group, versus 4% with usual care.
- Weeks 1 to 12: a low-energy diet of 800 to 900 calories a day, with total meal replacement in the first two weeks, plus two supervised exercise sessions (aerobic and resistance) and one independent session each week.
- Weeks 13 to 24: a weight-maintenance diet with independent exercise.
- Side effects: most people in the intervention group had at least one, mainly early effects of the low-calorie diet such as constipation, headache, dizziness and fatigue, which resolved; no severe adverse events were reported.
- Caution: the authors note that weight-loss programmes, including low-energy diets for diabetes remission, are followed by partial or full weight regain for most people.
Why It Matters
When type 2 diabetes starts early in life, people live with it for more years and face a longer period of risk for its complications. Remission, meaning blood sugar returns to below the diabetes range without medication, is therefore a valuable goal for this group. This trial focuses specifically on younger adults with early-onset disease and adds structured exercise to the diet.
The size of the difference, 54% against 4%, is striking. But the study also has limits that readers should keep in mind. It was a relatively small trial of 96 people, the result was measured at 24 weeks, and the researchers themselves point out that most people regain some or all of the weight lost after such programmes. Whether remission lasts beyond six months is the crucial question, and longer follow-up will be needed to answer it.
The programme is also demanding. Living on 800 to 900 calories a day, with meal replacements at the start, is not something people should attempt on their own. In the trial it was done under supervision, with a structured plan and medical monitoring. Anyone with diabetes who is interested in such an approach should discuss it with their doctor, especially if they take medicines that lower blood sugar, since doses may need to be changed.
For Indian readers, the findings are a reminder that diet and physical activity can have a large effect on type 2 diabetes when they are structured, intensive and supervised, and that the details of such programmes matter.
| Measure | Diet and exercise group | Usual care group |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | 50 | 46 |
| Remission at 24 weeks | 54% (27 people) | 4% |
| Severe adverse events | None reported | Not reported in coverage |
Impact
Short-term: The results are likely to encourage more clinics to consider structured low-energy diet programmes with supervised exercise for younger adults with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Long-term: If longer follow-up shows that remission can be maintained, such programmes could become a standard early option for early-onset type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing the years people spend on medication and their risk of complications.
Who is affected: Younger adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, their doctors and dietitians, health systems planning diabetes care, and researchers studying diabetes remission.
Key Takeaway
A supervised low-calorie diet plus structured exercise put early-onset type 2 diabetes into remission in 54% of participants at 24 weeks in a 96-person trial, though lasting results remain to be shown.
Questions and Answers
What did the type 2 diabetes remission study find?
In a randomised trial of 96 adults with early-onset type 2 diabetes and obesity, 54% of those on a low-calorie diet with structured exercise were in remission after 24 weeks, compared with 4% on usual care.
What diet did participants follow?
An 800 to 900 calorie-a-day diet for 12 weeks, starting with two weeks of total meal replacement, plus supervised exercise twice a week, followed by a 12-week weight-maintenance phase.
Is this diet safe to try at home?
The programme was carried out under medical supervision. People with diabetes should not start a very low-calorie diet without talking to their doctor, particularly if they take blood-sugar-lowering medicines.
Does the remission last?
The study measured remission at 24 weeks. The authors note that most people regain some or all of their lost weight after such programmes, so longer follow-up is needed.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Devansh Tiwari, Knowledge Systems WriterCovers Knowledge Systems and more for Peepals Sanskriti. All stories by Devansh Tiwari
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Devansh Tiwari is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
