Adults with type 2 diabetes who lost at least 10% of their body weight in a program designed for weight loss tended to have more daily movement and better sleep quality, according to a new study published in the journal Diabetic Medicine.
Studies have shown that even fairly modest weight loss can have substantial health benefits in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. That includes remission of type 2 diabetes, meaning that blood glucose levels are normal without taking any glucose-lowering drugs. Even for people with type 2 diabetes who are in the upper range of normal weight or slightly overweight, weight loss can lead to diabetes remission. Several different approaches have been shown to be effective for weight loss and improved blood glucose control or type 2 diabetes remission, including calorie-restricted intermittent fasting and a low-carb vegan diet. For people with obesity who don’t have diabetes, weight loss through any approach has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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For the latest study, researchers looked at health outcomes related to weight loss in a comparison between two groups of participants. A total of 170 adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of two groups — 66 took part in a diet-based weight loss program, and 104 acted as a control (comparison) group. As noted in an article on the study at Healio, the first phase of the weight-loss program involved total diet replacement for three months, during which participants were not asked to change their physical activity. During the second phase in which foods were gradually reintroduced, participants in the weight-loss program were asked to increase their physical activity. Both groups of participants wore an activity tracking device for seven days in a row at three different points in time during the study — at the beginning, after 12 months, and after 24 months. This device was also used to record patterns in falling and staying asleep.
Reduced sedentary time, more sleep in those who lost more than 10% of weight
Overall, there was no significant difference between physical activity levels in the weight-loss group and in the control group at the 12-month or 24-month interval. But in a separate comparison between participants who lost at least 10% of their body weight and those who lost less than 10%, those who lost at least 10% of their weight were found to engage in an average of 11 minutes more physical activity and 65.8 fewer minutes of sedentary time each day at the 24-month interval.
When it came to sleep, members of the weight-loss group slept for an average of more than 20 minutes longer each night than members of the control group — six hours 43 minutes, compared with six hours 21 minutes. In a separate comparison between participants who lost at least 10% of their body weight and those who did not, there were no signifiant differences in sleep duration. But those who lost at least 10% of their weight tended to have fewer sleep disturbances, probably leading to more restful sleep.
The researchers noted that this study didn’t try to find out whether greater physical activity was a cause or a result of greater weight loss — and both of these scenarios are plausible. But the results demonstrate that taking part in a diet-based weight-loss program that encourages physical activity may lead to better sleep outcomes, especially if you lose more body weight and get more activity.
Want to learn more about weight management? Read “Tried and True Weight-Loss Techniques,” “Losing Weight Without Feeling Hungry,” and “Seven Ways to Lose Weight.”
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