Lay summary
Why do Pacific, NZ Maori and South Asian peoples have similarly high rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) – significantly higher than European New Zealanders - despite having very different body composition? Weight loss through diet and increasing lean mass through resistance training both improve glucose metabolism, but it is unknown whether people with different lean:fat (L:F) mass ratios respond in the same way to these interventions. This research aims to explore whether there are fundamental physiological differences between people with different L:F mass ratios at high risk of T2DM and whether they respond differently to interventions proven to reduce T2DM which specifically target either weight loss or increasing lean mass. We propose a feasibility study to identify recruitment strategies and barriers to recruitment for the main study; assess the tolerability of baseline investigations, and assess the tolerability and barriers to completion of the proposed dietary and exercise.