Typically, people with elevated blood sugar are advised to lose weight to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. However, a new study by an international team of researchers questions that approach by evaluating the effectiveness of alternative strategies to combat the disease.
The scientists found that healthy eating and physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The researchers say the key to treating prediabetes also lies in the proper distribution of fat in the human body.
While the overall findings don’t dismiss the importance of weight loss in lowering the risk of diabetes, they encourage a reevaluation of which prevention strategies should take priority.
“Restoring normal fasting blood sugar levels is the most important goal in preventing type 2 diabetes, not the number on the scale,” emphasized diabetes specialist Andreas Birkenfeld from the University of Tübingen (Germany).
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The team studied 1,105 people with prediabetes—those with high blood sugar levels on the verge of full-blown diabetes. All participants followed the guidelines of a 12-month program that included improved nutrition and exercise. The team observed that among participants who did not lose weight (or even gained a little) by the end of the year, the risk of developing diabetes decreased by 71 percent over the next nine years.
This result was nearly identical to that of participants who lost weight, whose likelihood of developing diabetes decreased by 73 percent.
Exercise and a balanced diet reduced the risk of disease even without weight loss. During the study, the scientists also observed that the distribution of fat in the body plays a significant role in protecting against diabetes. Volunteers whose blood sugar returned to normal without losing weight had less abdominal fat (visceral fat, which accumulates around organs) compared to those whose blood sugar remained high.
This reflects the well-known connection between visceral fat and insulin resistance, as reported by Science Alert.
“Exercise and a balanced diet positively affect blood sugar levels, regardless of whether weight is lost. Weight loss is certainly beneficial, but our data show that it is not a necessary condition for diabetes prevention,” noted Birkenfeld.
His university colleague, Professor Rainer Jumpertz von Schwarzenberg, added that future recommendations for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes should primarily focus on “blood glucose levels and fat distribution, rather than weight.”
The study’s findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
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