reversing Type 2 diabetes from

Professor Roy Taylor explains how Type 2 diabetes can be reversed.

What are your chances of reversing Type 2 diabetes? Get your personal score now.

The good news is, it is possible to reverse type 2 diabetes and put it into complete remission or partial remission.1,2,3,4,5

Remission means glucose levels that return to normal levels without medication (tablets or insulin).

The primary means by which people with type 2 diabetes achieve remission is by losing significant amounts of weight.

Not everyone is successful in achieving remission or maintaining remission.

  1. Taylor R. Calorie restriction for long-term remission of type 2 diabetes. Clin Med (Lond). 2019 Jan;19(1):37-42. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.19-1-37. Erratum in: Clin Med (Lond). 2019 Mar;19(2):192. PMID: 30651243; PMCID: PMC6399621. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
  2. Durability of a primary care-led weight-management intervention for remission of type 2 diabetes: 2-year results of the DiRECT open-label, cluster-randomised trial Prof Michael E J Lean, MD † Wilma S Leslie, PhD Alison C Barnes, PGDip Naomi Brosnahan, PGDip George Thom, MSc Louise McCombie, BSc et al. The Lancet, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Vol. 7, Issue 5, p344-355, May 01, 2019. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia
  3. Taylor R, Al-Mrabeh A, Zhyzhneuskaya S, Peters C, Barnes AC, Aribisala BS, Hollingsworth KG, Mathers JC, Sattar N, Lean MEJ. Remission of Human Type 2 Diabetes Requires Decrease in Liver and Pancreas Fat Content but Is Dependent upon Capacity for β Cell Recovery. Cell Metab. 2018 Oct 2;28(4):547-556.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.07.003. Epub 2018 Aug 2. Erratum in: Cell Metab. 2018 Oct 2;28(4):667. PMID: 30078554
  4. Lim EL, Hollingsworth KG, Aribisala BS, Chen MJ, Mathers JC, Taylor R. Reversal of type 2 diabetes: normalisation of beta cell function in association with decreased pancreas and liver triacylglycerol. Diabetologia. 2011 Oct;54(10):2506-14. doi: 10.1007/s00125-011-2204-7. Epub 2011 Jun 9. PMID: 21656330; PMCID: PMC3168743
  5. Taheri S, Zaghloul H, Chagoury O, et al. Effect of intensive lifestyle intervention on bodyweight and glycaemia in early type 2 diabetes (DIADEM-I): an open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2020;8:477-489.
Are you open to change?

*References. Are you open to change?

Roberto CA. How psychological insights can inform food policies to address unhealthy eating habits. Am Psychol. 2020 Feb-Mar;75(2):265-273. doi: 10.1037/amp0000554. PMID: 32052999.

Hardcastle, Sarah J et al. “Motivating the unmotivated: how can health behavior be changed in those unwilling to change?.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 6 835. 16 Jun. 2015,
doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00835

Buckley, J., Cohen, J. D., Kramer, A. F., McAuley, E., & Mullen, S. P. (2014). Cognitive control in the self-regulation of physical activity and sedentary behavior. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 8, 747. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00747

Dishman RK, Ickes W. Self-motivation and adherence to therapeutic exercise. J Behav Med. 1981;4:421–438. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

Desire to maintain your health for as long as possible

*References: Desire to maintain your health for as long as possible

Ambivalence about health‐related behaviours: An exploration in the domain of food choice. Paul Sparks Mark Conner Rhiannon James Richard Shepherd Rachel Povey British Journal of Health Psychology, Volume 6, Issue1 February 2001 Pages 53-68

Hardcastle, Sarah J et al. “Motivating the unmotivated: how can health behavior be changed in those unwilling to change?.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 6 835. 16 Jun. 2015, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00835

Which best describes your current circumstances

*References: Which best describes your current circumstances

van der Valk, Eline S et al. “Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals?.” Current obesity reports vol. 7,2 (2018): 193-203. doi:10.1007/s13679-018-0306-y

Scott, Karen A et al. “Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Obesity.” Current obesity reports vol. 1,1 (2012): 16-25. doi:10.1007/s13679-011-0006-3

Predictors of type 2 diabetes remission in the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) G. Thom C.‐M. Messow W. S. Leslie A. C. Barnes N. Brosnahan L. McCombie A. Al‐Mrabeh S. Zhyzhneuskaya P. Welsh N. Sattar R. Taylor M. E. J. Lean

Speliotes, E., Willer, C., Berndt, S. et al. Association analyses of 249,796 individuals reveal 18 new loci associated with body mass index. Nat Genet 42, 937–948 (2010).

How Many Antidiabetic medications are you taking?

Reference: How many antidiabetic medications are you taking?

Predictors of type 2 diabetes remission in the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) G. Thom C.-M. Messow W. S. Leslie A. C. Barnes N. Brosnahan L. McCombie A. Al‐Mrabeh S. Zhyzhneuskaya P. Welsh N. Sattar R. Taylor M. E. J. Lean

Have you ever succeeded in losing weight quickly? (eg 10 weeks))

*Reference: Have you ever succeeded in losing quickly?

Predictors of type 2 diabetes remission in the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) G. Thom C.-M. Messow W. S. Leslie A. C. Barnes N. Brosnahan L. McCombie A. Al‐Mrabeh S. Zhyzhneuskaya P. Welsh N. Sattar R. Taylor M. E. J. Lean

Bąk-Sosnowska, Monika et al. “Do Psychological Factors Help to Reduce Body Mass in Obesity or is it Vice Versa? Selected Psychological Aspects and Effectiveness of the Weight-Loss Program in the Obese Patients.” Health psychology research vol. 1,1 e10. 21 Mar. 2013, doi:10.4081/hpr.2013.e10

Do you feel depressed?

*Reference: Do you feel depressed?

Predictors of type 2 diabetes remission in the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) G. Thom C.-M. Messow W. S. Leslie A. C. Barnes N. Brosnahan L. McCombie A. Al‐Mrabeh S. Zhyzhneuskaya P. Welsh N. Sattar R. Taylor M. E. J. Lean

How motivated are you to reverse type 2 diabetes? (do you have the intent)

Reference: How motivated are you to reverse type 2 diabetes? (do you have the intent)

Sullivan S, Cloninger CR, Przybeck TR, Klein S. Personality characteristics in obesity and relationship with successful weight loss. Int J Obes (Lond). 2007 Apr;31(4):669-74. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803464. Epub 2006 Sep 5. PMID: 16953251; PMCID: PMC4450078.

How effective are you in changing your habits? (do you have the ability)

*Reference: How effective are you in changing your habits? (do you have the ability)

Clark MM, Abrams DB, Niaura RS, Eaton CA, Rossi JS. Self-efficacy in weight management. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1991 Oct;59(5):739-44. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.59.5.739. PMID: 1955608.

Prochaska JO, Norcross JC, Fowler JL, Follick MJ, Abrams DB. Attendance and outcome in a work site weight control program: processes and stages of change as process and predictor variables. Addict Behav. 1992;17(1):35-45. doi: 10.1016/0306-4603(92)90051-v. PMID: 1595424.

Schwarzer R, Jerusalem M. Measurement of perceived self-efficacy: Psychometric scales for cross-cultural research. Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin, Institut for psychologie; 1993. [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

Do you have the support of a spouse/partner and/or friends in reversing type 2 diabetes?
Final Score

Results

A score > 60 indicates potential for success in reversing Type 2 diabetes.

Recommendations

If your score is low then repeat the questions adjusting your answers where you believe you can. If your score is still too low, then you should consider addressing the issues that hold your score down before you attempt to reverse diabetes.

Weight Loss

Type 2 diabetes has generally been regarded as progressive and incurable, but research has shown that for many patients it can be reversed with sustained weight loss of around 15 kg.

Results from the DiRECT trial showed that 9/10 people who lost 15kg or more were able to achieve type 2 diabetes remission.

“When fat cannot be safely stored under the skin, it is then stored inside the liver and overspills to the rest of the body, including the pancreas. This ‘clogs up’ the pancreas, switching off the genes [that] direct how insulin should effectively be produced, and this causes type 2 diabetes.”

Prof. Roy Taylor

Seek Medical Advice

Consult your doctor about ways to lose weight and achieve diabetes remission.