New UK trial underway to see if 800-cal diet can cure Type II

[Nay]

2. 800 cals is a starvation diet, but you're only on it for 8 to 12 weeks. Not forever.

The scientists' working hypothesis is that the diet, being severe rather than slow, pulls bad fat from around the pancreas and inner organs first and very quickly. They think that too much of that inner fat is causing diabetes by interfering with hormone production.

In the first 11 patients, they noticed that that fat went from 6% down to 1 or 2% and those patients were free of diabetes. They were able to resume normal eating (ie, did not have to watch sugars or starches). This will probably not last if they gain back tons of weight by eating like idiots, but they can now eat normally without BG testing, restricting carbs, etc.