Lifestyle
Reversing prediabetes without losing weight: How dietary modifications, fat distribution, and glucose management reduce the risk of diabetes by 70%


By Kajal Sharma - 14 Oct 2025 05:21 PM
More than one in three persons in the US have prediabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels that are not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. About 70% of people with prediabetes may develop type 2 diabetes if their condition is not controlled, which raises their risk of consequences like kidney damage, neurological issues, and heart disease. Reversing prediabetes has typically involved losing weight with medication, diet, or exercise. Recent studies, however, suggest a paradigm shift: enhancing insulin sensitivity and glucose management might be more important than simply losing weight. Lifestyle changes that focus on food, exercise, and fat distribution can result in remission and significantly reduce the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes.According to a recent study by German researchers at University Hospital Tübingen that was published in Nature Medicine, prediabetes can be corrected without weight loss. After a year of lifestyle changes, participants who were able to achieve normal blood glucose regulation but did not lose a considerable amount of weight had a 70% lower chance of acquiring type 2 diabetes over the course of five years than those who were unable to achieve remission.
Whole grains, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and legumes are good sources of carbs, whereas meals high in healthy fats include fatty fish, seeds, nuts, and olive oil. Normalizing blood glucose levels also requires controlling stress and getting enough sleep.In the US, prediabetes, characterized by high blood sugar that is not yet diagnosed as diabetes, affects more than one in three persons. In addition to concerns like heart disease, renal issues, and nerve damage, type 2 diabetes eventually develops in about 70% of people with prediabetes if left untreated. Reversing prediabetes has typically involved losing weight with medication, diet, or exercise.A recent study that was published in Nature Medicine indicates that prediabetes can be corrected without weight loss, according to a Morning News Today story. After a year of lifestyle interventions, participants who did not lose weight but achieved normal blood glucose regulation had a 70% lower risk of type 2 diabetes over the next five years than those who did not achieve remission, according to research from the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany."A lifestyle intervention can bring prediabetes into remission, meaning back to normal glucose values, even without weight loss, and this remission cuts future type 2 diabetes risk by approximately 70% over up to 10 years," co-author Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld told Medical News Today.