An intensive program pairing major calorie restriction with supervised strength and aerobic exercise helped more than half of younger adults with type 2 diabetes achieve remission within six months. The RESET for Remission trial focused on adults younger than 45, a group that can face particularly aggressive disease.

The study found that 54% of participants who completed the lifestyle intervention entered remission, compared with 4% of those receiving standard medical care. After adjusting for baseline health factors, researchers calculated that participants in the program were 21 times more likely to achieve remission.

Researchers from McGill University in Canada and the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom enrolled 96 adults between 18 and 45. All participants were living with obesity and early onset type 2 diabetes, and none were using insulin.

Participants assigned to the intervention stopped taking their blood sugar and blood pressure medications under medical supervision. They then began a highly restrictive eating program providing between 800 and 900 calories each day.

During the first two weeks, participants consumed only meal replacement products. From weeks three through 12, they added one structured daily meal featuring lean protein and vegetables while continuing to use meal replacements.

The final 12 weeks shifted the participants into a weight maintenance phase. Throughout the program, the calorie restrictions were paired with supervised aerobic and resistance training twice a week, along with one independent weekly workout.

To qualify for remission, participants needed to maintain an HbA1c blood sugar level below 6.5% for at least 12 weeks without taking any diabetes medications. Health professionals cautioned that remission does not amount to a permanent cure.

Lead author Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, a professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at McGill University, said the results demonstrated that younger adults could manage both demanding parts of the intervention.

"Our study shows that it is possible to combine a low-calorie diet with supervised exercise in young adults with type 2 diabetes," Dasgupta told Fox News Digital. "There has previously been some concern about combining the two as being too much of a burden for people. However, people in our study stayed in our study."

Only 10% of participants did not complete the final evaluations. Those taking part attended a median of 17 of the 20 scheduled supervised gym sessions, suggesting strong participation despite the program’s demanding schedule.

Researchers emphasized resistance training because rapid weight loss can reduce lean muscle mass as well as fat. Experts have warned that crash diets and medications that suppress appetite may lead people to lose muscle, while regained weight may return disproportionately as body fat.

"In our study, we think the diet provoked the weight loss, and exercise helped make sure it was [not] from muscle," Dasgupta said. MRI findings indicated that participants lost fat from their organs and liver without a decline in muscle.

"We were happy and surprised that not only did people lose fat from their organs and liver, our MRI studies indicated their muscle did not decrease at all and their handgrip strength went up," Dasgupta said.

Across 24 weeks, participants lost an average of 18.5 pounds. They also significantly improved their treadmill endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness while preserving muscle mass and increasing grip strength.

The researchers acknowledged that the study could not determine how much of each benefit came from diet and how much came from exercise. Dasgupta said researchers would have preferred to compare diet alone with diet plus exercise to establish the specific effect of training on muscle and fitness.

The trial also had several limitations. It involved fewer than 100 people, took place across medical centers in England and Canada, and followed participants for a relatively short six month period.

The regimen brought physical side effects for many participants, particularly during its early weeks. About 86% of the intervention group reported mild to moderate problems, including headaches, fatigue, dizziness and constipation, although researchers reported no severe medical complications.

Maintaining an intake near 800 calories while attending supervised gym sessions may be difficult for busy adults outside a clinical setting. Study authors said longer trials in everyday settings are needed to determine whether participants can maintain their weight loss, preserve muscle gains and remain off medication after returning to regular routines.