In the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), British researchers randomly assigned doctors who were treating roughly 300 overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes to either follow usual treatment guidelines (control group) or to take patients off diabetes drugs and put them on a three-stage weight-loss program (intervention group) that included: a formula diet (shakes and soups) with 825 calories a day (for 12 to 20 weeks), a gradual return to foods (for 6 to 8 weeks), monthly counseling to keep the weight off, and a “rescue plan” option—going back to a formula diet if they regained more than a few pounds.