http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...atients-2993010

Overweight type 2 diabetes sufferers could be cured by going on a crash diet, scientists believe.

Eleven patients were restored to full health within weeks of going on a diet of 800 calories a day.

They carried out tests on people who became obese after contracting diabetes and all proved successful.

Now a £2.4 million medical trial is to be carried out on 280 more patients with obesity-induced diabetes.

Diabetes accounts for 10% of the NHS budget and 2.6 million Brits have type 2, which differs from type 1 because it is closely associated with obesity.

It occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or if body cells do not react to insulin - a hormone secreted in the pancreas.

Diabetics are at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes because the blood sugar level soars if the body has insufficient insulin.

Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University's MRI centre, said: “Changing calorie intake returned insulin production to normal. It’s exciting.

“The new study is to see whether GPs can use this approach to reverse diabetes in their patients and whether it will stay reversed."