As i understand it, the effects on insulin resistance of a very low calorie diet (800ish) were discovered as a side effect of gastric surgery patients follow one pre-op to reduce the fat around and in the liver. Their HbAc1 dropped. Prof Taylor at Newcastle University (hence the name) did some limited studies and found that an 8 week VLCD using meal replacement shakes & 1 meal of 200cal veg produced a dramatic drop in liver fat, and reduction in HbAc1, which was still lower after 2 years than at initial diagnoses