People who suffer from type 2 diabetes should get off the treadmill and into the surgery room — that’s according to a new study that is offering some surprising solutions to those who have the disease.

While scientists have known for a while the benefits of gastric surgery for diabetes patients, researchers haven’t really examined whether it’s as good or better than lifestyle changes and improved diet and exercise, but this new study finds that for those who have type 2 diabetes, gastric surgery is the way to go, according to a Reuters report.

About 61 people were examined for the relatively small study, which was published in the journal JAMA Surgery. These individuals were between the ages of 25 and 55, and all suffered from type 2 diabetes. Half of them were at the lower end of the weight scale, in a range where doctors would not recommend them to get surgery, with the rest of the patients at a heavier end of the scale. Doctors typically recommend surgery for those who have a body mass index (BMI) at 40 or above.

Nearly a tenth of the U.S. population suffers from diabetes, with about 30 percent of them not even being aware of it. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, and it is typically linked with obesity.

For this study, patients could choose one of three options: they could choose between two types of surgery, or they could go on a regimen of diet, exercise, and lifestyle change for a year. Three years later, scientists have found that 40 percent of patients for one type of surgery and 29 percent for the other saw a remission in type 2 diabetes, but no one on the lifestyle change program saw any such remission.

Although a larger study will be needed, it’s a tremendous finding for scientists, and it could help with treatment of diabetes in the future.