Great news – race for the cure. We are getting closer to a cure for diabetes.
By Dr. Trumbull MD, OBGYN & Endocrinology – Hormone and Diabetes Specialist – University for Weight Loss Science with contribution from Bruce Wayne.
If you have type II diabetes, we have amazing news! Current results were just published March 6th in the The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal. A group of researchers in the United Kingdom has been able to show that significant weight loss followed by an appropriate weight loss maintenance program can lead to remission of diabetes (no longer needing to take medications to control their blood sugars) that can last for two years. (We have been doing this for years and our client have stayed in remission for years. But, finally the research is catching up a bit).
Approximately 300 patients were enrolled in the study. Participants had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the previous 6 years, had an elevated body-mass index (overweight), and were not receiving insulin when recruited for the study. At the 1 year mark 46% of the participants’ diabetes was in remission. Now at 2 years 35.5% remained in remission. Whether a person goes into remission and stays in remission appears to be strongly linked to their amount of weight loss and ability to keep the weight off.
So you might be asking, what does this have to do with me? It’s not a cure for diabetes, however, It is scientific evidence that significant weight loss in overweight diabetics can lead to diabetes type II remission and if that weight loss is maintained a person can stay in remission. The authors of the study do admit that there are more ways to lose weight than how the participants in their study did it (yup, we do it much better). They used a bunch of liquid diets solutions but many people find this diet very difficult to do. It can leave them unable to participate in regular social activities or even family events because so often these include food. Not to mention you probably feel like crap because liquid diets is not really a sustainable path. This is one reason why we really focus a lot of our attention on teaching our clients the best foods to eat for diabetes and we create the best nutrition plan that is truly sustainable. However, nutrition alone is not going to really deliver a very long-term outcome. For that you need a much more integrated process. We bring together a lot of good science to help you achieve a much more realistic outcome.
The authors of the study felt that their method of weight loss was a good way to do it, yet they needed to start with 1510 eligible individuals in order to get the 300 who agreed to participate (and were not somehow excluded for other reasons). When the 1510 original eligible people were asked to enroll, 1087 did not want to… (yup, because being on a liquid diet for 2 years really probably sucks.) They don’t address why those people were not interested in participating but a significant number may have been due to the known difficulty of living with the diet.
When diabetics are looking for a way to lose weight in hopes of remission they need to find a plan that is personalized based on their fitness level and abilities. Certainly they will need to make significant changes, but those changes do not need to be as harsh as living on a liquid diet. A period of reintroduction of foods into a person’s diet can also be a very awkward time when it is such a strong contrast from weight loss diet to regular diet. Plus, a liquid diet for such a long time may leave you malnourished. The study also suggested that after getting to this point of remission subject may relapse once they are reintroduced back to solid food and many may need diet medication to help them sustain their results. For us here at University for Weight Loss Science, we have figure out a much better healthier way, eating real healthy meals, coupled with an effective personalized program to help you look amazing along with strong evidence based exercise.
So what is today’s take home message from this research? Keep your eye on the positive side of this study—that people can lose enough weight to take their diabetes into remission and that remission (along with weight loss) can last for at least 2 years. Every person is different and it is certainly possible that those who are committed to keeping their weight in line will find that their diabetes can be kept in remission for an extended period of time.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that gets progressively worse over time. 70% of the people with diabetes die from a heart attack. Plus, poor circulation can lead to amputations, blindness and so on. It feels wonderful when you can stay away from taking medications in order to keep blood sugar levels at proper levels. As about our new breakthrough “Long-Term Diabetes Remission Program. For those who meet the right qualifications, we really can help you to have a much better quality of life and to finally get off your diabetes medications and stay off of them long-term. Just imagine feeling better each day, not having to take medications for your diabetes and not having any signs or symptoms of your diabetes. While not a cure for diabetes, it is a huge step in the right direction.
By Dr. Trumbull MD, OBGYN & Endocrinology – Hormone and Diabetes Specialist & Bruce Wayne CEO of University For Weight Loss Science.
