Can lifestyle change truly reverse type 2 diabetes?

Sometimes: Lifestyle alone can prevent, delay, or reverse type two diabetes in many cases. If diet and exercise do not reverse type two diabetes, they can make it much less severe. Some cases will still need medicine, but lifestyle can make a huge difference.

Yes with weight loss: If you are overweight and "lifestyle change" includes significant weight loss, it might reverse type 2 diabetes. Otherwise, probably not.

Not completely: The key is exercise, and to a lesser extent weight loss. You'll still have the strong genetic tendency, but you can keep the chemical changes and physical deterioration at bay by getting super-fit.

Yes in: most cases when insulin resistance is do to sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary habits and Obesity. Significant weight loss, healthy lifestyle and low carbohydrate diet has been able to reverse type 2 diabetics

Lifestyle for DM2.: Optimized nutrition, regular exercise and weight maintenance can help keep blood sugars in an acceptable range to minimize the chance of diabetic complications in the long term, but cannot cure diabetes. As well, diabetes does progress over time despite our best efforts at lifestyle change so eventually these measures may just not be enough.