Customer Reviews

Under the Weather: How Weather and Climate Affect Our Health

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Although I'll stop short of saying this is a scientific book, I will say that it is thought provoking. Protected from the weather by air-conditioning and other modern conveniences, have we tuned out to the impacts that come with living on Planet Earth? According to Ms Thomas, 35% of the world's population is 'weather sensitive' leading to mood disorders, forgetfulness, headache, and a host of others problems. Filled with interesting facts and a long list of references, this well-written book is worth a read for those interested in branching past traditional medicine and into the realm of alternative health.

This is a fun little book that covers all bases when it comes to climate and health - from migraines to murder rates. Step by step, Thomas takes us through everything from how local weather can affect vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, to how global warming will affect us all. The chapters include the effects of the seasons upon health (immune system depression in the spring, increased heart attacks and strokes in winter due to increased blood thickness), phases of the moon (increased violence and accidents during the full and new moons), windstorms (higher SAT scores!, but more migraines), heat waves, winter chills, thunder storms, and even how the environment inside buildings can increase lung ailments. All this and more, is conveyed in a completely down-to-earth style that makes this short 196-page paperback a pleasurable read.

While I appreciated the wealth of information Thomas packed into this volume, I could not find verification for some of the scientific claims she made. Thomas often couches these claims in vague phrases such as "it is thought," which makes them hard to track down. However, when references were given, I did look them up. What I found in some cases were studies which did not, in fact, back up the claims Thomas was making (e.g. melatonin levels in CFS patients were not proven to be abnormal in the study cited, although Thomas claims the reverse). Nor could I find anything at all to confirm the claim that increased serotonin causes a spike in adrenaline. As an aficionado of neuroendocrine responses to weather change, I was disappointed that there was no backup for these claims in the medical/scientific literature.

This is, I realize, a book intended for a popular audience, rather than an academic one. Nevertheless, I have the expectation that whenever anybody makes a scientific claim in print they will check their sources carefully, rather than leave the legwork up to the readers.

I think anyone who suffers from any phyiscal aliment or emotional distress during certain times a year should really read this book.