Can Weight Loss Reverse Prediabetes?

20 Jul Can Weight Loss Reverse Prediabetes?

Posted at 11:02h in Diets, News by

A new study has provided compelling evidence that weight loss combined with blood sugar regulation can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and even reverse prediabetes. Here, we discuss the key findings of the study, and some key nutritional considerations for those with prediabetes.

We are a team of qualified, experienced nutritionists who specialise in weight loss. Are you looking to optimise your health, nutrition, and blood sugar levels? And establish healthy habits that stick long term? We can help. Schedule your complimentary call today to find out more. 

WHY IS PREDIABETES A PROBLEM? 

Type 2 diabetes is a growing global health concern, with projections indicating that over 1.3 billion people worldwide will have diabetes by 2050. Prediabetes is a condition characterised by elevated blood glucose levels, not yet meeting the criteria for diabetes. If left unmanaged, it is common for prediabetes to develop into type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, neurodegenerative disease and cancer.

WHAT DOES THE NEW STUDY SHOW?

Researchers analysed data from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). It compare the effectiveness of weight loss alone versus weight loss combined with blood sugar management in preventing the development of type 2 diabetes. The study focused on participants who achieved the recommended goal of ≥7% body weight loss.

The key results were as follows. Participants who lost ≥7% of their body weight and achieved prediabetes remission (defined as a return to normal glucose regulation) had a 76% lower relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes within 6 years compared to those who lost weight but did not achieve remission. 

In the first 4 years of follow-up, less than 1% of participants who achieved both weight loss and prediabetes remission developed type 2 diabetes. The probability of developing type 2 diabetes was significantly lower in those who achieved both weight loss and remission from year 2 onwards.

CAN YOU REVERSE PREDIABETES?

Prediabetes is reversible for some people, as is type 2 diabetes. However, in order to achieve this sustained commitment to a healthy diet and lifestyle choices is required. The study suggests that current guidelines for prediabetes management should be updated to include both weight loss and glycemic targets. By aiming for prediabetes remission in addition to weight loss, individuals may have a better chance of preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.

In order to manage your blood sugar levels, it’s important to understand the diet and lifestyle factors that affect your blood glucose. Here are a few guides we have written that may help you in doing just that:

Understand carbohydrates: The Glycemic Index: What You Need To Know

Learn how to monitor your blood sugar: A Guide To Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)

Gain a deeper insight into insulin’s role in blood sugar management: How To Improve Insulin Sensitivity Naturally.

Healthcare providers may consider setting dual goals for patients with prediabetes: achieving ≥7% body weight loss and reaching normal glucose regulation. For individuals who achieve weight loss but do not reach prediabetes remission, continued weight loss efforts or increased physical activity may be beneficial. Sustaining weight loss is crucial for maintaining the benefits of prediabetes remission, as well as making long term lifestyle changes.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY?

The global burden of diabetes continues to grow, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries. Implementing these study findings could have far-reaching benefits for public health. The study underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach to prediabetes management. Effective weight loss and blood sugar management may lead to improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs associated with type 2 diabetes and its complications. A successful blueprint to reverse diabetes would have enormous benefits across the world.

NUTRITION FOR PREDIABETES

If you fall into the prediabetes category, this is promising news that you can reverse your prognosis with the right diet and lifestyle management. So, how can you best manage prediabetes?

Achieving and maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is key. As the study we discussed above highlighted, achieving a healthy weight is a key consideration. Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid overeating. Achieving a calorie deficit is an important part of the weight loss puzzle.

Engaging in regular exercise, including both aerobic (cardio) and strength-training activities, can help regulate blood sugar levels. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. Aim to strength train two to three times per week.

Consume a balanced diet based on whole foods, including vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Limit your intake of ultra processed foods, refined carbohydrates and sugars, as these can contribute to insulin resistance.

Pay attention to the type and quantity of carbohydrates you consume. A period of time on a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet can be beneficial for improving insulin sensitivity.

Include moderate servings of healthy fats in your diet, particularly extra virgin olive oil. Avocados and unroasted nuts and seeds are also whole food sources of healthy fats.

WORK WITH US

We are a team of qualified nutritionists who specialise in weight loss. If you’re ready to overcome your health and weight challenges and establish supportive habits that stick long term, we can help. You can use this link to book in for a complimentary call today. This is an opportunity to talk through your challenges with a member of our team. Together you can decide together whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you. Or contact us to request a copy of our brochure and we will get back to you soon.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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