medwireNews: The very-low-calorie diet intervention used in the DiRECT trial is feasible and associated with type 2 diabetes remission in residents of Barbados, researchers report.
In this feasibility study involving 25 people with type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the preceding 6 years, the average weight loss during the 8-week liquid diet phase was 10.1 kg, although the participants regained an average of 1.8 kg over the following 6 months.
By the end of the diet phase, 60% of participants had achieved a fasting plasma glucose level below 7 mmol/L, rising to 82% of those who lost more than 10 kg. Six months later this had declined to 37.5%, however.
Nigel Unwin (University of Cambridge, UK) and study co-authors note that type 2 diabetes rates in the Caribbean population are “among the highest in the world.”
The study participants identified a number of barriers to weight loss particular to their culture, including pressure to eat a lot at social events, a diet traditionally heavy in carbohydrates and starchy foods, and negative comments about rapid weight loss in men.
“Our findings highlight the importance of social support and self-efficacy in navigating this environment and can guide improvements in the design of the intervention,” write the researchers in Diabetic Medicine.
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