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Weight loss doesn’t have to be dramatic to help the health of people
with type 2 diabetes, a new study shows.

The study, called Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes), included
5,145 people with type 2 diabetes.

The key finding: Losing a modest amount of weight — about 8% –
reaped big health rewards, including better blood sugar control and
less need for diabetes and blood pressure drugs.

“We’re encouraged, based on our experience with Look AHEAD, that many
overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes are able to achieve and
maintain 7% to 10% or greater weight loss over the course of one
year,” researcher Mark Espeland, PhD, tells WebMD.

Espeland works in the public health sciences division of Wake Forest
University’s medical school.

Weight Loss and Type 2 Diabetes

In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin, a
hormone that controls blood sugar. Being overweight or obese makes
people more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Look AHEAD participants first weighed in, got checkups, and took
exercise tests. Then they were randomly split into two similar groups.

Participants in one group got an intensive lifestyle makeover to help
them lose at least 7% of their body weight in the study’s first year.
They attended dozens of group meetings, ate portion-controlled diets,
and got help from behavioral psychologists and exercise specialists.

Their portion-controlled diets included liquid meal replacements or
structured meal plans. Those participants were encouraged to walk or
get other physical activity at home.

For comparison, participants in the other group got standard care,
education, and support for their type 2 diabetes, with few group
meetings and no specific diet or exercise plan.
Weight Loss Diabetes Results

In a year, participants in the intensive lifestyle program lost 8.6%
of their body weight, boosted their aerobic fitness by 21%, improved
their blood sugar control, and cut back on their need for diabetes and
blood pressure medications.

Those in the comparison group lost less than 1% of their body weight.
But they did upgrade their fitness somewhat, though not as much as
those in the lifestyle program.

“Many markers of health improved in both groups,” Espeland tells WebMD.

Look AHEAD will continue to see if the short-term results hold up over
time. “This is the primary reason for Look AHEAD,” says Espeland.
Many Ways to Lose Weight