Nov. 12, 2009
BOOK REVIEW: Five-Step Plan for Shedding Weight Safely Outlined in 'The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes'
Reviewed By David M. Kinchen
Huntingtonnews.net Book Critic
The world-wide obesity epidemic has been thoroughly probed and documented in countless news stories, but Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini and co-author Lawrence D. Chilnick redefine the focus between obesity and diabetes and outline a program to combat pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in "The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes:The 5-Step Program That Removes Metabolic Roadblocks, Sheds Pounds Safely, and Reverses Prediabetes and Diabetes" (Fair Winds Press, 240 pages, $21.99).
My initial reaction was "Oh, no! Not another diet book!" Reading the book altered my initial view, because Vagnini and Chilnick lay out for readers a detailed 5-step program for shedding unwanted pounds safely and effectively, avoiding drastic measures that promise rapid weight loss. Vagnini, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon, outlines the unique metabolic challenges faced by diabetics and how these challenges can be overcome with an integrated plan of diet, specific nutritional supplements and exercise regimens, lifestyle modification, and medication. Special nutritional concerns of diabetics are addressed as is the effect of dieting and weight loss on glucose levels and insulin. The latest information on new medications is also included.
The abundance of food is the culprit for anyone who wants to lose weight and dodge the diabetes bullet, the authors say. "More people around the world die from obesity than from starvation: One billion are obese or overweight compared with 800 million who are underweight," they write. Vagnini relates in "Introduction: My Story" how his background growing up as an Italian-American in Astoria, Queens contributed to his view that "life was all about food, family, and family gatherings. Three things were important: food, food, and food all of the time -- and much of it 'bad for you' food."
Italians are not alone: The abundance of fried food and artery-clogging delicacies like biscuits and gravy makes the typical Southern and Appalachian diet the equivalent of a heart attack on a plate. "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver is currently in Huntington, West Virginia, producing a reality TV program to lead obese West Virginians away from their food disasters into the promised land of healthy eating. He chose the second largest city of the Mountain State because one study labeled it the fattest city in the U.S. Diabetes is at epidemic proportions in Huntington, as well as in neighboring Ohio and Kentucky and it's difficult to avoid the evidence that diet and lack of exercise is a contributing factor.
Mexican food in the state where I now live, Texas, contributes to obesity among Hispanics and others addicted to Tex-Mex cooking. In fact, "people of color" -- including African-Americans and Hispanics -- are far more likely to be obese than other groups, the authors report, and the connection between low income and obesity is also well documented, they add.
As a non-physician I'm obviously not qualified to judge the medical soundness of the book, but I'm convinced from reading the book and the foreward, by Rachel F. Heller and Richard Heller, that the program is sound. The two Hellers -- both of whom have Ph.Ds and other advanced degrees and with many years of teaching at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and the City University of New York -- helped "Dr. V", as he is called by his friends and associates in his personal quest to lose weight and overcome his heritage and addiction to that sinfully delicious Italian-American cuisine.
Dr. Vagnini draw from the latest clinical studies and provides specific recommendations for overcoming weight loss problems and managing diabetes based on a patient's medical history and risk factors.
This plan features a combination of low-glycemic foods, reduced carbohydrates, and a modified Mediterranean diet. The carbohydrate content -- how we love those carbs! -- depends on the level of risk as indicated by blood glucose levels. The month-long list of menus and meal options provided in the book will help in adjusting to the kinds of foods that will encourage a patient's body to use the protein and carbohydrates in the healthiest manner.
The practical advice in the book includes suggestions on how to overcome "Supermarket Roadblocks", and an exploration of the smoking/diabetes link. The authors also explode common myths that prevent diabetic weight loss and examine the link between diabetes, stress and weight loss. All in all, this is a book -- available on Amazon.com and other online sources -- that should be read by everyone concerned about losing weight and the connection between obesity and diabetes.
About the Authors:
Frederic J. Vagnini, M.D., FACS. Unique among modern medical practitioners, Dr. Vagnini, affectionately known as "Dr. V" to his patients and hundreds of thousands of followers who tune in every Sunday to his nationally syndicated radio program, receive his advisory emails, read his books and listen to his podcasts. A board certified cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Vagnini has dedicated himself to helping people prevent age-related diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and dementia through nutrition, lifestyle counseling, fitness and health education.
Lawrence D. Chilnick is an editor and author of popular cookbooks, business and health reference books. He is the creator of the 17 million copy New York Times bestseller, The Pill Book (Bantam), the first consumer medication reference book. It is still in print after more than two decades.
Publisher's web site: www.fairwindspress.com
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BOOK REVIEW: Five-Step Plan for Shedding Weight Safely Outlined in 'The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes'
Reviewed By David M. Kinchen
Huntingtonnews.net Book Critic
The world-wide obesity epidemic has been thoroughly probed and documented in countless news stories, but Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini and co-author Lawrence D. Chilnick redefine the focus between obesity and diabetes and outline a program to combat pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in "The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes:The 5-Step Program That Removes Metabolic Roadblocks, Sheds Pounds Safely, and Reverses Prediabetes and Diabetes" (Fair Winds Press, 240 pages, $21.99).
My initial reaction was "Oh, no! Not another diet book!" Reading the book altered my initial view, because Vagnini and Chilnick lay out for readers a detailed 5-step program for shedding unwanted pounds safely and effectively, avoiding drastic measures that promise rapid weight loss. Vagnini, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon, outlines the unique metabolic challenges faced by diabetics and how these challenges can be overcome with an integrated plan of diet, specific nutritional supplements and exercise regimens, lifestyle modification, and medication. Special nutritional concerns of diabetics are addressed as is the effect of dieting and weight loss on glucose levels and insulin. The latest information on new medications is also included.
The abundance of food is the culprit for anyone who wants to lose weight and dodge the diabetes bullet, the authors say. "More people around the world die from obesity than from starvation: One billion are obese or overweight compared with 800 million who are underweight," they write. Vagnini relates in "Introduction: My Story" how his background growing up as an Italian-American in Astoria, Queens contributed to his view that "life was all about food, family, and family gatherings. Three things were important: food, food, and food all of the time -- and much of it 'bad for you' food."
Italians are not alone: The abundance of fried food and artery-clogging delicacies like biscuits and gravy makes the typical Southern and Appalachian diet the equivalent of a heart attack on a plate. "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver is currently in Huntington, West Virginia, producing a reality TV program to lead obese West Virginians away from their food disasters into the promised land of healthy eating. He chose the second largest city of the Mountain State because one study labeled it the fattest city in the U.S. Diabetes is at epidemic proportions in Huntington, as well as in neighboring Ohio and Kentucky and it's difficult to avoid the evidence that diet and lack of exercise is a contributing factor.
Mexican food in the state where I now live, Texas, contributes to obesity among Hispanics and others addicted to Tex-Mex cooking. In fact, "people of color" -- including African-Americans and Hispanics -- are far more likely to be obese than other groups, the authors report, and the connection between low income and obesity is also well documented, they add.
As a non-physician I'm obviously not qualified to judge the medical soundness of the book, but I'm convinced from reading the book and the foreward, by Rachel F. Heller and Richard Heller, that the program is sound. The two Hellers -- both of whom have Ph.Ds and other advanced degrees and with many years of teaching at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and the City University of New York -- helped "Dr. V", as he is called by his friends and associates in his personal quest to lose weight and overcome his heritage and addiction to that sinfully delicious Italian-American cuisine.
Dr. Vagnini draw from the latest clinical studies and provides specific recommendations for overcoming weight loss problems and managing diabetes based on a patient's medical history and risk factors.
This plan features a combination of low-glycemic foods, reduced carbohydrates, and a modified Mediterranean diet. The carbohydrate content -- how we love those carbs! -- depends on the level of risk as indicated by blood glucose levels. The month-long list of menus and meal options provided in the book will help in adjusting to the kinds of foods that will encourage a patient's body to use the protein and carbohydrates in the healthiest manner.
The practical advice in the book includes suggestions on how to overcome "Supermarket Roadblocks", and an exploration of the smoking/diabetes link. The authors also explode common myths that prevent diabetic weight loss and examine the link between diabetes, stress and weight loss. All in all, this is a book -- available on Amazon.com and other online sources -- that should be read by everyone concerned about losing weight and the connection between obesity and diabetes.
About the Authors:
Frederic J. Vagnini, M.D., FACS. Unique among modern medical practitioners, Dr. Vagnini, affectionately known as "Dr. V" to his patients and hundreds of thousands of followers who tune in every Sunday to his nationally syndicated radio program, receive his advisory emails, read his books and listen to his podcasts. A board certified cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Vagnini has dedicated himself to helping people prevent age-related diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and dementia through nutrition, lifestyle counseling, fitness and health education.
Lawrence D. Chilnick is an editor and author of popular cookbooks, business and health reference books. He is the creator of the 17 million copy New York Times bestseller, The Pill Book (Bantam), the first consumer medication reference book. It is still in print after more than two decades.
Publisher's web site: www.fairwindspress.com
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Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
