Research
Hormonal
Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) can induce remission of type 2 diabetes and favorable metabolic profiles in the short term, but long-term sustainability and safety data are lacking.
VLCDs can help some people with type 2 diabetes achieve remission in the short term, but they are not a long-term solution. They require medical supervision and supplementation. Long-term success depends on transitioning to sustainable habits.
ModerateConditionalMEDIUM confidence
A study has shown that VLCDs not only have beneficial effect on weight but also lead to remission of type 2 diabetes... However, whether this will sustain in the long term needs more studies.
Why this rating
Based on a single study cited (Steven et al.) and general review.
Source
Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets
Joshi Shilpa et al. · The Indian Journal of Medical Research · 2018
DOI 10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_1793_18
narrative_reviewCited 21×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Extreme weight-loss diets (low-carb, low-fat, or VLCD) are not sustainable long-term and lead to rapid weight regain, whereas balanced, calorie-restricted diets combined with physical activity and counseling are superior for sustained weight management.Good
- Low-carbohydrate/high-fat diets (e.g., Atkins) primarily result in weight loss through caloric restriction and water loss, not superior metabolic advantages, and may increase long-term mortality risk if animal proteins and fats are used.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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