Customer Reviews

Losing Weight with Your Diabetes Medication: How Byetta and Other Drugs Can Help You Lose More Weight than You Ever Thought Possible (Marlowe Diabetes Library)

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2 star:		(1)
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(Published in the newsletter of American Mensa's Diabetes Special Interest Group)

I expected to like this book. I've been a fan of David Mendosa's writings for several years, and how can you argue with a book about weight loss written by a man who has lost over 100 pounds? So I posed a tough question when I started. I'm a diabetes writer also, although on a much smaller scale; I initially lost 30 pounds (which has stayed off) on Byetta, but my weight loss then stopped. Does this book contain any new or helpful information for me?

In the past, I haven't liked diabetes books that 1) lost me in pages of technical terms and numbers, 2) included lengthy anecdotes and case histories that might be irrelevant or even unsafe to use as models, or 3) gave so many recipes that I found I'd bought a cookbook instead of the information I was seeking.

This book does none of those things. There's a lot of detail about the history of diabetes, current drugs and treatment options, and it's all based on solid research. But the research is in the Endnotes section, where it doesn't interfere with the reading. The personal anecdotes are brief and on point, and the author gives only one recipe, a breakfast dish whose main ingredient may surprise you.

It's written in a clear and engaging style, with bits of humor and some behind-the-scenes peeks at the drug industry. I enjoyed the story of Dr. John Eng, the discoverer of Byetta; the doctor was unaware of the drug's weight loss benefit until much later, when it appeared during clinical trials. But Dr. Eng is unable to prescribe Byetta himself, because it's not on the formulary of the Veterans' Administration where he has spent his career.

If you're diabetic and overweight, this may be the only book you'll need to start you off toward better health. The main thread of the book, of course, is the author's own journey and an outline of his current diabetic routines: diet, exercise, medication, and the reasoning behind them all. But you won't be bored, and I picked up several new techniques to try. There are many good books about diabetes; David Mendosa traveled the weight loss road himself before drawing the map for others, and that perspective is invaluable.

I get David's newsletters and noticed that he had a new book coming out, 'Losing Weight with Your Diabetes Medication', I thought anything he writes would be worth reading so pre-ordered it.

I have to say that I live in England where Byetta is just being prescribed so I thought that the information might come handy in the future.

I have to confess I'm only half way through the books but I can't stop raving about what I have read so far. He explains Byetta so simply and his one recipe in the book has come as a G-dsend because I have real problems finding foods that I can eat as a type 2 diabetic.

I've recommended this book to every diabetic I know on all the message boards I belong to.

It's a must read for all type 2s.

One fantastic piece of news? I was called today by the diabetes nurse and have been put on to Byetta.

All I can say is thank you David for this wonderful book.

This book is very well written and a easy read. The drug information is good for anyone on a type 2 drug. He puts a very human face of the struggles with this condition. Byetta looks like it is a good fit for many type 2.

I bought this for my Husband. He is in the process of reading this book and says it gives good guidlines.

David Mendosa is a very well educated lay expert about diabetes, and he provides an important service here explaining why most drugs treating Type II diabetes cause weight gain. He has personally had an outstanding experience with the new drug Byetta and this book is mainly about that experience. But he does not give enough coverage to the poor result that many patients who have used Byetta have had. Nor does he mention the small group of Byetta users who have experienced severe pancreatitis attributed to using Byetta. Byetta is a new drug, with little long-term use in the population, and while it may turn out to be a fantastic long-term drug, it is too soon to endorse it in such a glowing way as Mendosa's book. Most of us who are dealing with this disease are looking for an answer, but are sometimes to willing to become guinea pigs.

Following a properly formulated low-carb diet will allow most "Type II Diabetics" to lose weight and normalize blood sugars without medications. That should be the goal. This book sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Hello, I actually have not read this book, but wanted to get the word out there. Byetta (supposedly to help you lose weight while having diabetes) also causes acute pancreatitis.(doctors don't tell you this) I know this because after my sister (a diabetic) passed due to acute pancreatitis we did a lot of research on her meds and that is what we found out. There is no true way to lose weight except take in less than you put out.

Good luck with your trials thru the years, do your research before taking any medications and also relook at your medications after you have been taking them for a while to see if any new warnings have been posted.

I'm writing this on this book only, because I happened to come across it in a CVS and the title byetta and weight loss grabbed my attention.