One of the world's leading experts on the disease said it is caused by 'being too heavy for your own body.'
People are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if they can no longer fit into the jeans they were wearing when they were 21.
This is according to Professor Roy Taylor, from Newcastle University, who is won of the world's leading experts on the disease.
Taylor was speaking at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes’ annual conference as he presented research that suggested people of "normal" weight who had type 2 diabetes could "achieve remission" by losing weight.
The study found that eight out of 12 people who had a "normal" BMI (Body Mass Index) managed to "get rid" of the disease by losing 10-15 per cent of their body weight.
By doing so, they were able to cut the levels of fat in the liver and pancreas, restoring the activity of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Taylor, who was the principle investigator in the research, said: “Doctors tend to assume that type 2 diabetes has a different cause in those who are not overweight. What we’ve shown is that if those of normal weight lose 10 to 15% of their weight, they have a very good chance of getting rid of their diabetes.”
"If you can’t get into the same size trousers now, you are carrying too much fat and therefore at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you aren’t overweight."
The research involved 12 participants who had the disease and an average BMI of 24.5 all put on a strict low-calorie liquid diet for two weeks, consuming just 800 calories a day.
They completed three rounds of this until they lost 10-15 per cent of their body weight. Once this was achieved, scans showed reductions in the amount of fat in the liver, with eight of the participants deemed to have their type 2 diabetes in remission, which was defined as having blood sugar levels under control and no longer needing medication.
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Taylor concluded that the study demonstrates "very clearly that diabetes is not caused by obesity but by being too heavy for your own body."
The results were preliminary, with full results from the study expected next year.
The research was looking solely at people with type 2 diabetes, which is generally caused by lifestyle and diet and should not be confused with type 1 diabetes, which is a genetic autoimmune disease that people are born with.
For more information on both conditions, you can visit
the NHS website or
Diabetes UK.
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