Long-term outlook among obese people improved significantly after obese and overweight patients who had diabetes Type 2 were made to lose weight and control blood glucose levels.

In preventing the long-term complications that are linked to diabetes Type 2, addressing cardiovascular risk factors and blood glucose control is vital, and more so if the patient is obese when diagnosed with the disease.

Screening and managing diabetes with medication has been the focus.

Authors stated that glycemic control and risk factors could be improved by lifestyle-based weight loss interventions but to short-term studies of typically less than one year, the evidence supporting the efficacy of lifestyle approaches is what it is limited to.

Multicentre, randomized clinical trial was carried out by the investigators, from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) Research Group, which compared the effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention versus diabetes support and education.

Those involved in the study were overweight and obese people who had an average age of 58. 7 years and had diabetes Type 2.

The researchers reveal that within twelve months those in the intervention group lost an average of 6.2 per cent of their body weight and those in the support group had who lost weight were 0.9 per cent.

Better fitness levels were also achieved by following diet and physical activity by members of the intervention groups.