200 type 2 diabetes patients will be randomly submitted to an intensive life-style or a collaborative educational programmes by means of random numbers list. The intervention will be conducted by certified nutritionists or certified diabetes educators, previously trained in behavioural modification and in self-care techniques. The intervention will last 16 weekly sessions and A1c, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure will be measured as main variables. Furthermore, body weight and abdominal girth, other lipids (HDL cholesterol, triglycerides),and physical activity, quality of life, psychological well-being and self-efficacy will be measured with specific questionnaires for up to 6 months.

Two interventions will be compared for metabolic control (A1c, LDL Cholesterol, and blood pressure). Additional measures will include: body weight abdominal girdle, other lipids (HDL cholesterol, triglycerides);and physical activity, quality of life, psychological well-being and self-efficacy will be measured with specific questionnaires.

Inclusion criteria are: Type 2 diabetes (ADA criteria) diagnosed during the last 3 years, without chronic complications, negative urine ketone tests, current in their dues to IMSS, A1c > 7%, and BMI > 25. No age limits.

Exclusion criteria: Psychosis or personality disorders, other illnesses thought to be fatal in 6 months or less (e.g. AIDS, liver Cirrhosis, etc), unable to read and write, and currently taking other drugs that impair blood glucose metabolism, such as glucocorticoids. Patients unable to perform physical activity because of other neurological, orthopedic or rheumatological conditions, patients on drug treatment for depression or obesity. Patients with alcohol or other drug dependencies, and being a relative of a patient already included in the study.

Patients will be randomly assigned to either intervention and will not be told to which intervention he/she was assigned.

The Intensive intervention is structured in 16 sessions to be held every week for groups of up to 15 patients in family medicine clinics in Mexico City. This includes healthy nutrition and physical activity plus behavioural modification techniques; the treatment goals will be instituted by the case manager (lowering body weight by 5% 10%, and increasing physical activity to 150 minutes/week).

The Educational Collaborative group will attend 16 weekly sessions where nutritional and physical activity will also be discussed, along with knowledge about diabetes and its treatment. Behavioural modification techniques are included in the curricula but the treatment goals will be selected by the patients themselves.

Blood samples will be drawn from an antecubital vein before the program starts and every 3 months thereafter. Measurements will include: A1c, glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Furthermore, body weight and abdominal girdle will be measured by a trained nurse observer who does not know the patient's group allocation. Questionnaires for physical activity, quality of life, psychological well-being and self-efficacy will be answered by patients every 3 months.

The statistical analysis will be conducted as an intention-to-treat analysis, and will include comparison of proportions of patients attaining treatment goals, adjusted by age, sex, BMI, and base-line values with logistic regression; continuous variables will be analyzed with Analysis of Covariance.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Type 2 diabetes (ADA criteria) diagnosed during the last 3 years. Without chronic complications, negative urine ketone tests, current in their dues to IMSS, A1c > 7%, and BMI > 25. No age limits.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Psychosis or personality disorders, other illnesses thought to be fatal in 6 months or less (e.g. AIDS, liver Cirrhosis, etc), unable to read and write, and currently taking other drugs that impair blood glucose metabolism, such as glucocorticoids.
• Patients unable to perform physical activity because of other neurological, orthopedic or rheumatological conditions, patients on drug treatment for depression or obesity.
• Patients with alcohol or other drug dependencies, and being a relative of a patient already included in the study.