It amazes me that folks will make a major change in their diet and way of life without having read one of the books, checking the websites, or finding a forum like this. This is particularly so if you are on a bunch of medications. Losing weight has health consequences (good ones!), and so does the way that you do it. It is so important for people to KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING, and you can't do that without educating yourself first. Its like taking a new medication without checking for other drug interactions.

Your friend needs a new doctor, and a couple of new books!