Product Description

Modern trends in diet, lifestyle and population demographics have made diabetes one of the fastest–growing diseases in the UK. There are 1.4 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK but that is set to double by 2010; a further million currently have the disease but have not been diagnosed (source: Diabetes UK). Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease. The diabetic must manage their lifestyle very carefully, from the regime of injections and oral medication to the careful monitoring of blood glucose levels. Although many diabetics lead problem–free lives, not every newly–diagnosed person adapts quickly to the reality of living with diabetes. Their doctor cannot always be on hand to advise them, but this book can. Nobody wants to feel that illness has made them a victim, an attitude reflected in the irreverent and humorous approach of this Dummies guide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #295047 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"…In this practical book, Women’s Health expert Dr Sarah Jarvis offers advice on all aspects of dealing with the disease…" (Women’s Health, November 2003)

"…aims to cut through the medical jargon and help people take control of their condition…" (Good Housekeeping, November 2003)

“…a well researched compendium of advice and information on all aspects of diabetes…combines clarity with depth and detail…” (Yoga & Health, January 2004)

"...Diabetic patients…should arm themselves with sugar cubes, glucose tablets, boiled sweets… but also with a copy of Diabetes for Dummies…"(The Times,23 February 2004)

“…will help you to take control of your diabetes and learn to manage it effectively…” (Choice Magazine, May 04)

Good Housekeeping, November 2003
"..aims to cut through the medical jargon and help people take control of their condition.."

Yoga & Health, January 2004
"..a well researched compendium of advice and information on all aspects of diabetes..combines clarity with depth and detail.."

Customer Reviews

review Diabetes for Dummies
Excellent book - explains everthing about diabetes in terms that even a dummy like me can understand. Have just ordered 2 more copies as presents for friends, (if I lend them this copy I'll definitely never see it again) and a copy of the cookbook in the series for myself.

Probably the only diabetes book you'll ever need
If you (or someone you know) have just been diagnosed with diabetes, then I can't recommend this book too highly. I bought it when I was first diagnosed and still refer to it regularly.

The chatty, good humoured, "Dummies" approach works well in breaking down this complex (and scary) subject into bite-sized chunks. It covers all the basics and there are specific chapters on things like diabetes in childhood and in old-age. The recipes are a complete waste of time, but only take up a few pages. There are all helpful appendices that come with the "Dummies" brand and an excellent index.

When buying this (or any other diabetes book), make sure that you get the UK edition: many books are written for the American market and they do things differently there.

Helpful guide for the newly diagnosed -- recommended
My partner was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and we needed to educate ourselves -- quickly -- about how to cope with the condition.
This is an excellent, easy to read guide, which has proved to be extremely useful for us. It is written by medical professionals but is in plain, accessible English which means you can answer a query quickly, and come back for more in-depth information later.
It covers both Type 1 and 2, and offers an overall guide to medication, exercise, diet and how to cope with it all. There are also plenty of case studies which are based on real people, so you relate to the information and how it is effective in a practical situation.
It is more detailed and informative than the Diabetes UK website, and much more balanced than the more personal guidebooks which we have also seen.
The information is broken up into useful chapters and bite-size chunks. Nothing difficult to handle, and the index makes finding a particular subject (testing glucose levels / hypoglcaemia / GI levels / complications / whatever) very easy.

As well as being useful for actual diabetic patients, this book is also brilliant for the family. It explains mood swings and depression, and how to help the person who is suffering.
It's a book about how to live well despite diabetes -- and has proved to be extremely useful, eductional, practical and uplifting.

It is only marked down by one star because the information stops too soon for us -- we could have done with more detailed medical chapters explaining the how and why of things. Our probliem is now that there's very little to bridge the gap between basic guides for the layman and full-blown medical textbooks!