I have a lot to say about this, for me, provocative book:

The book targets overweight people with type 2 diabetes. Nowhere in the title or on the book's cover can it be seen that it is only intended for this group of diabetes patients.

The absolute emphasis is on weight loss. You would think that there were no persons of normal weight that get diabetes, but perhaps this is true for those with type 2.

It is a Reader's Digest book and written in the simple style common to this publication and Jehova's Witness literature. It seems to target grossly overweight people who take no exercise whatsever and who eat the crappiest of diets. This is okay, I suppose, since many such people exist,. There is probably an absolute need for this book with all its faults, it is just not my cup of tea.

For me the basic problem with the book is that its aim is apparently not to help you cure yourself of your diabetes, even though I understand type 2 in particular is absolutely curable, but only to assist you to reduce high blood sugar levels and generally control the diabetes so as to minimize the risk of serious complications.

It is stressed that first and foremost you must focus on taking your insulin or other medication, whereas I would want to focus on being able to reduce and eventually let go of all medication, it being ultimately harmful.

The authors do not hold the view that sugar is inherently bad for you, but find its consumption only inadvisable because of the empty calories. It is positively recommended to take a "sugary snack" in certain situations. (Of course I realize that persons using insulin may in life-threatening situations need an immediate sugar fix.)

Also fruit and fruit juice (??) make up an integral part of the recommended diet, whereas in the opinon of some experts all sugar and fruit should be temporarily avoided in full until such time as the diabetes has been eradicated. Also sugar substitutes such as ASPARTAME (the worst of the worst) are acceptable according to the Plan and even recommended.

In short, deleterious substances such as diet drinks, sugar substitutes, coffee, dairy foods, SWEETS (??), margarine are included in the Plan, as is use of a microwave oven. In fact, absolutely ANYTHING GOES, as long as you cut calories.

If this plan is followed you will probably lose much weight, but will remain inherently unhealthy, the diet suggestions being catastrophic as regards ultimate health.

There is no mention at all of the importance of going over to the consumption of organic foods. (You would think the book had been published fifty years ago but, in fact, it is from 2004.)

The only reason I have given the book a star at all is is due both to the chapter on "natural approaches", which incidentally should have been placed at the beginning of the book and to the advice on the essential factor of exercise. The natural approaches chapter includes important information about the value of chromium and vanadium supplements, among other things.

To sum up, this book could prove valuable to those overweight type 2 diabetics who wish to improve their present quality of life, but have no ambition to release their dependence on insulin or other diabetes medication. For those more ambitious, read for example, Cass Ingram's book "Natural cures for diabetes". ( )