Amazon.com Review
"Women's health is
very different from men's health," writes author Lila A. Wallis, M.D., M.A.C.P. Besides the obvious differences, women's health is not linear, but cyclical, "like a boat on a choppy sea." Women go through four major life phases, each with different health risks and the need for different health strategies. Wallis has undertaken a huge mission here: describing the four phases--adolescence, adulthood, perimenopause, and postmenopause--and explaining the conditions, risk prevention, and treatments that women need to understand in each phase. For example, the section on adolescence treats topics such as puberty, nutrition and eating disorders, self-esteem, fitness, skin protection, pelvic exams, and the risks of STDS, pregnancy, drug abuse, and violence. This section is meant to be read by the teenage girl (addressed as "you"), and has much valuable information. However, the vocabulary may be intimidating to young adolescents. Anatomical terms are defined, but words such as
anatomists,
conduit,
influx,
culminate, and
imminent may discourage 12- and 13-year-olds. Despite this,
The Whole Woman fills an immense need, describing women's unique health conditions. The other three sections include topics such as reproduction, the female immune system, breast health, endocrine disorders, stress, domestic violence, hormone replacement, heart health, digestive diseases, osteoporosis, postmenopausal zest, and more. "This book will help you learn to take charge of your health in the way the medical profession has not taught you up to now," promises Dr. Wallis.
--Joan Price
About the Author
Lila A. Wallis, M.D., M.A.C.P., has practiced medicine for nearly fifty years, caring for thousands of women. She is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology and hematology and, as a professor of medicine at Cornell Medical College, she has taught hundreds of medical students and doctors. While serving as chair of the American Medical Women's Association Task Force on Women's Health, she initiated courses for doctors in Advanced Curriculum on Women's Health (ACWH), the first medical course dealing with women's health systematically structured along the life phases of the woman. Dr. Wallis is past president of the American Medical Women's Association. She lives in New York City.
