New research brings hope to people with prediabetes.
It shows that even if they don’t lose weight, they can still lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes—just by getting their blood sugar levels back to normal through a healthier lifestyle.
Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. It affects about one in ten adults worldwide, although many people don’t know they have it because there are no clear symptoms at first.
If left untreated, prediabetes often turns into type 2 diabetes. That’s a serious illness that can cause heart disease, cancer, and other complications.
Traditionally, doctors have focused on weight loss as the main way to prevent type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes. This usually includes eating better and exercising more. But a large new study suggests there’s another way.
Researchers from the University Hospital of Tübingen and other German institutions studied over 1,100 people with prediabetes. These people made lifestyle changes like eating healthier and exercising. Some of them didn’t lose weight or even gained a little.
Still, about 22% of them managed to bring their blood sugar levels back to normal. Over the next 9 years, these people were 71% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes—even without losing weight.
This reduction in risk was almost the same as those who did lose weight (73%). The researchers say this is a major finding: you can protect yourself from diabetes even if the scale doesn’t budge.
The key factor may be where fat is stored in the body. The study showed that people who returned to normal blood sugar levels, even without losing weight, had less harmful abdominal fat. This type of fat surrounds internal organs and can cause inflammation and hormonal problems, which are linked to diabetes.
According to Professor Andreas Birkenfeld, one of the study’s leaders, the most important goal in preventing diabetes is getting blood sugar back to normal—not just focusing on losing weight. He adds that exercise and a healthy diet help regulate blood sugar, whether or not a person loses weight.
The study suggests that future diabetes guidelines should focus more on blood sugar control and fat distribution, rather than just on weight loss. While weight loss still has health benefits, it may not be the only or most important goal.
In conclusion, this study shows that people with prediabetes can make a big difference in their health by improving their lifestyle—even if they don’t lose weight. Eating well and staying active can help bring blood sugar levels back to normal and protect against type 2 diabetes.
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The study is published in Nature Medicine.
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