Most People with Type 2 Diabetes Don't Know It May Potentially Be Reversible

Most people with type 2 diabetes have never heard that their condition may potentially be reversible. And amongst those who have heard, many still do not fully believe it and definitely not taking action to attempt to reverse their diabetes. I have made it my mission to reach as many people with Type 2 diabetes as possible to share this important message. That Type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible, especially if lifestyle and eating habits changes and improvements are made early enough, appropriately, adequately and sustainably. And to encourage more to have a good go at attempting to achieve it while the window for reversal is still open, because the window does not remain open forever.

Watch: Dr Chan's Message for Every Person with Type 2 Diabetes

This is a message I feel compelled to share as widely as possible. Watch the short video below, or read on.

What I See in My Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

I have interacted with many people with type 2 diabetes. Through my medical clinic, through coaching programmes, through workshops and talks. And what I consistently observe is this.

The majority of people with type 2 diabetes have not heard about diabetes reversal. They do not know that it may potentially be possible. Or if they have heard something about it, they do not know enough about it to believe it or act on it.

And amongst those who have heard, the majority are still not fully confident or certain that type 2 diabetes is truly, potentially reversible.

I do not have the published statistics to back this up precisely. There are not many surveys or studies on this specific question. But after years of clinical work in this space, I am confident in this observation.

Most people with type 2 diabetes do not know. And most who know do not fully believe.

Why Every Person with Type 2 Diabetes Should Know that It Is Potentially Reversible

You might ask: why does it matter so much whether someone knows or believes this? If they are managing their diabetes, is that not enough?

It matters because of what happens when type 2 diabetes is not concertedly and comprehensively addressed through lifestyle and eating habits.

The natural course of type 2 diabetes, without meaningful lifestyle change, is this. Progression. Over time, to more severe diabetes. Over time, to the development of many devastating diabetes complications.

And those complications are not mere inconveniences. They take years from people's lives. They take life from those years. They take away people's ability to live healthily, and in some cases, their ability to live independently.

That is what is at stake. That is why this message matters.

If a person with type 2 diabetes does not know that reversal may potentially be possible, they will not try to reverse it. They will be content with just maintaining their blood sugar at acceptable levels, depending on medications or some degree of lifestyle change, or both. But they will not be making comprehensive targeted lifestyle and eating habits changes to the fullest of their ability so as to have  good go at attempting to reverse their diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes may potentially be reversible, it is not easy but potentially possible and it is worthwhile having giving one's all to have a good go to try to achieve it. But one thing's for sure, I have never seen any person 'accidentally' reverse his or her diabetes. Reversal of Type 2 diabetes has to be intentional and with best effort, because it is almost never achieved accidentally with minimal effort. 

The Window To Reverse Diabetes Does Not Stay Open Forever

This is the part I want every person with type 2 diabetes to hear clearly.

Type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible. Especially if lifestyle and eating habits are changed and improved early enough, appropriately, adequately, and sustainably.

But the window to do so does not remain open forever.

The longer one has type 2 diabetes, the harder it becomes to reverse it. The lower the chances of success. How long the window stays open, nobody can say for certain, because every person with type 2 diabetes is different, has different combination and severity of underlying pathophysiologies. But what is certain is this: the window does not stay open indefinitely.

The earlier you have a go at reversing your diabetes, the better your chances of succeeding.

My Goal Is Simple

I have a goal, a mission.

I aim to  reach as many people with type 2 diabetes as I possibly can, and tell them this one thing: type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible, especially if lifestyle and eating habits are changed and improved early enough, appropriately, adequately, and sustainably. But the window to do so does not remain open forever.

Every person with Type 2 diabetes should know this. And far too many people with type 2 diabetes still do not.

A Few Important Things Before You Act

If you are thinking about starting a diabetes reversal journey, here are two things I want to highlight clearly.

First. Never reduce or stop your diabetes medications on your own without consulting your doctor. Reversing diabetes must be done safely, always working closely with your medical team.

Second. Choose your programme carefully. Whatever programme you join to reverse your diabetes, choose one that is fully focused on helping you make targeted, individualised, and sustainable lifestyle and eating habits changes. That is what addresses the underlying causes of type 2 diabetes.

Do not depend on supplements or short-term biohacks. They do not address the underlying root cause. And they will not give you lasting results. 

I always say to my Chinese speaking patients with Type 2 diabetes ."既要治标也要治本" - meaning we must aim to control the 'sign' as well as the 'underlying cause', i.e. People with Type 2 diabetes should aim to control their blood sugar as well as tackle the underlying causes of their diabetes and high blood sugar, and that means a complete, comprehensive optimisation of lifestyle and eating habits.

Learning About Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

If you have diabetes and are not as equipped with the essential foundational knowledge about reversing Type 2 diabetes as you should be, I have a structured online learning programme that you might find very useful. You can find out more through the link below.

Find out more about the Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: Essential Basics - Structured Online Learning Programme Here

Related Posts

• Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed? Dr Chan Answers
• Stress, Sleep, and Strength: Diabetes Habits Beyond Diet
• Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: Essential Basics — Online Learning Programme

About Dr Chan Tat Hon

Dr Chan graduated from the National University of Singapore medical school in 1992. For the last ten years, his work has focused on lifestyle medicine. He works with healthcare and corporate organisations to design and deliver lifestyle behaviour change programmes, train health coaches and build communities engaged in cultivating healthy behaviours to combat diseases.

He also provides training and coaching to individuals with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases through 1-1 personalised coaching, live webinars, and online courses.

• 1-1 Personalised Coaching with Dr Chan
• Online Courses and Programmes by Dr Chan
• Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: Essential Basics Online Programme

About This Video

Video Synopsis

In this video, Dr Chan shares one message he wants every person with type 2 diabetes to hear: that type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible, but the window to attempt reversal does not stay open forever. He explains why most people with type 2 diabetes have never heard this, why it matters deeply given the natural progression of the condition, and what to look for in a reversal programme. The message is not about marketing a programme. It is about reaching people who have never been told this, before it is too late for them to act.

Full Transcript

The following is the full transcript of the video above.

[00:00:00] Hi, I'm Dr. Chan, and I want to highlight one thing about reversing diabetes to every single person with type 2 diabetes, and that is type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible, especially if lifestyle and eating habits are changed and improved early enough, appropriately, adequately, and sustainably.

But the window to do so does not remain open forever. So if you have type 2 diabetes, that's all I want you to take away from this video, that you may have a chance to reverse your diabetes, but the window to do so may not remain open forever. Hi, I'm Dr. Chan. I'm a medical doctor from Singapore, and I help people make targeted lifestyle and eating habits changes to control, to reverse, and combat diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. And from my interactions with people with [00:01:00] type 2 diabetes, whether through my medical clinic coaching programs, through workshops or talks, I would say that the majority of people with type 2 diabetes have not heard about diabetes reversal, do not know anything about it, or at least not much about it. And amongst those who have heard about reversing type 2 diabetes, the majority may still not believe, or at least not hundred percent confident or certain that type 2 diabetes is truly or really potentially reversible. I do not have the actual statistics. There are not many published studies or surveys about people's awareness of, knowledge of, and belief in the potential of reversal of type 2 diabetes.

But I am relatively confident that amongst the people with type 2 diabetes, the majority are not aware of, do not know enough of, or do not have much belief in the potential of reversing type 2 diabetes.

And I have a goal, I [00:02:00] would even say a mission, which is to reach as many people with type 2 diabetes as I possibly can and tell them this: type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible, especially if lifestyle and eating habits are changed and improved early enough, appropriately, adequately, and sustainably.

But the window to do so does not remain open forever. That's it. That's all. That's my goal. What a person with type 2 diabetes who hear this message for the very first time, do with this information, it's up to him or her. But it is my goal to highlight this very important information to as many people with type 2 diabetes as possible.

Why? Why am I so concerned? What's so important about this piece of information? What's the urgency? It is simply this. This information is potentially life-changing for people with type 2 diabetes because the natural course of type 2 diabetes for [00:03:00] people who do not concertedly, comprehensively improve their lifestyle and eating habits is this. The natural cause is this. Progression over time to more severe diabetes.

Progression over time to the development of many devastating diabetes complications. And the complications of diabetes will cause more than just mere inconveniences. The complications of diabetes will take away years from people's lives and take away life from those years. Taking away people's ability to live healthily or even the ability to live independently. That's what is important about this message of diabetes reversal.

And what's the urgency? The urgency is simply this. The window of opportunity to reverse type 2 diabetes does not remain open forever. The longer one has type 2 diabetes, the harder it would be to reverse it, the lower the chances of success in reversing it.

How long would the window remain open, you may [00:04:00] ask? The answer, nobody can know for sure because every person with type 2 diabetes is different. But what everybody can be sure of is this, the window to successfully reverse type 2 diabetes does not remain open forever. I hope you would take action, some kind of an action, any kind of action to begin your journey to have a good go at attempting to reverse your type 2 diabetes. I have an important thing to highlight before I share anything any further, and that is people attempting to reverse their diabetes should never reduce or stop their medications on their own without consulting or working closely with their doctors.

Reverse your diabetes safely. Some hospitals may offer special diabetes reversal programs. If you have access to them, go find out tomorrow. Go join that if that is possible. If the doctor you are seeing for your regular diabetes management also offer coaching and support for people to reverse their diabetes, have a go at reversing their [00:05:00] diabetes, then go and speak to your doctor about that and see if they can offer you some kind of coaching, some kind of support to do so.

Whatever it is. My hope is that you do something. Take action to start, to begin your diabetes reversal journey as early, as soon as possible. Because the earlier you have a go at it, the better chance you would have in being successful in reversing your type 2 diabetes. Let me add another thing to highlight.

Whatever that you decide to do, whatever programs you decide to join to reverse your diabetes, choose programs that are fully focused on helping you make targeted lifestyle and eating habits change and improvement that are individualized and sustainable.

Don't get distracted by programs that depend on supplements or short-term biohacks to reverse your diabetes.

Depend on addressing the underlying lifestyle and eating habits that are contributing to, that are causing your diabetes, and undo [00:06:00] them, and improve them. Don't depend on supplements or short-term biohacks. My goal, my intention for this video is not about marketing my one-to-one coaching programs for people with diabetes or my reversing type 2 diabetes essential basic structured online learning program.

If you think they may be of some help to you and you're interested to find out more about them, sure, there are links somewhere in this video for you to do that. But my goal, my intention for this video is simply this, to reach, to share, and highlight this message to as many people with type 2 diabetes as possible.

And the message is this, and let me say that again. Type 2 diabetes may potentially be reversible, especially if lifestyle and eating habits are changed and improved early enough, appropriately, adequately, and sustainably. But the window to do so does not remain open forever. If you do not know that before this video, now you know. But if you already knew this [00:07:00] but were not taking any action to do anything about it, then can I urge you to start taking action? Join a hospital-based diabetes reversal support program. Join a medical-based coaching program. Do something.

Whatever you have access to, whatever you are willing to. Do something to start making changes to your lifestyle and eating habits to attempt to reverse your diabetes.

And if you think that this message might be useful to friends or relatives with type 2 diabetes, do share this with them. I am Dr. Chan. Let your habits be your medicine to reverse, to combat diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases.

Eat well and be well.

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