If you're trying to cut your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, go on a crash diet. That's the conclusion reached by the global Preview study, a collaboration of eight countries that teamed up to figure out the best way to deal with the disease.

For the study, 2,300 people with prediabetes followed an 800-calorie diet of soups and shakes for eight weeks. They also engaged in regular exercise.

The participants lost an average of 23 pounds —10.8 percent of their body weight — during the eight weeks. 

A March 2016 study at Britain's Newcastle University found that losing 10 percent of body weight slashed the risk of Type 2 diabetes by up to 90 percent.

The study, which was published in Diabetes Care, found that many people who underwent a crash diet for eight weeks stopped their diabetes in its tracks. If they maintained their weight loss, they remained free of the condition. Even patients who had been diagnosed with diabetes for 10 years were able to reverse the disease.

"What we have shown is that it is possible to reverse your diabetes, even if you have had the condition for a long time, up to around 10 years," said Newcastle professor and study leader Roy Taylor. "If you have had the diagnosis for longer than that, then don’t give up hope – major improvement in blood sugar control is possible.

"The study also answered the question that people often ask me — if I lose the weight and keep the weight off, will I stay free of diabetes? The simple answer is yes!"

Taylor says his research supports his theory of a Personal Fat Threshold. "If a person gains more weight than they personally can tolerate, then diabetes is triggered, but if they then lose that amount of weight then they go back to normal.

"The bottom line is that if a person really wants to get rid of their Type 2 diabetes, they can lose weight, keep it off and return to normal.

"This is good news for people who are very motivated to get rid of their diabetes."

More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and it's the seventh leading cause of death, according to the American Diabetes Association. More than a quarter of Americans age 65 and older have diabetes.