Women, Weight and Hormones: A Weight-Loss Plan for Women Over 35 (Hardcover)

by Elizabeth Lee Vliet (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Vliet (Screaming to Be Heard: Hormone Connections Women Suspect... and Doctors Still Ignore) is the founder and director of HER Place, which has several medical centers specializing in hormone evaluations for menopausal women. Very detailed and somewhat overwritten for women just interested in losing weight, her second book presents an array of information on hormone found in the body. Vliet explains how estrogen and progesterone levels change and interact at midlife to slow female metabolism, which may lead to weight gain. But, she argues, a combination of hormonal balance, healthy eating, exercise and improved self-esteem can reverse this pattern. Before Vliet gets to the cornerstone of her "meal action plan" (MAP), which will interest many women, the reader must plow through complicated explanations of the biological changes that occur before, during and after menopause. Vliet believes that women should be tested for hormone levels in their 20s and 30s, so that these baseline results can be used to adjust levels at midlife to prevent excessive weight gain. (She advocates hormonal supplements based on individual need.) Based on her daily dietary recommendations of 35% protein, 30% fat and 35% carbohydrates, Vliet provides 14 days of MAP meal plans. Although much of her diet and exercise advice will be helpful to overweight women, her hormonal plan, advocated at HER Place centers, is complex and theoretical.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Why do women seem to have a harder time losing weight than men? Why is it even more difficult as we age? Is losing weight really as simple as eating less and exercising more? Yes and no. Vliet (Screaming To Be Heard), a physician specializing in women's health and preventive and climacteric medicine, here describes the different hormones that affect women before and after menopause. Some estrogens produced before menopause are largely unavailable in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Too much estrone and not enough estradiol or imbalances in progestone, testosterone, and thyroid can result in weight gain, depression, and other difficulties. Vliet discusses the popular HRT drugs and weight-loss programs that fail to target these imbalances or make them worse. After describing the various hormones in detail with case histories, she recommends a battery of blood tests to pinpoint one's chemical profile, a consultation with a doctor (preferably an endocrinologist) to achieve the right balance, and a diet and exercise plan to take advantage of the better physiological climate thus engendered. Although this book is too technical for most lay readers, Vliet's thesis contains a core of good sense that might well benefit motivated readers. For libraries serving an educated clientele. Susan B. Hagloch, Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc. (November 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871319322
• ISBN-13: 978-0871319326
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,931 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Pointed me in the right direction after my hysterectomy", November 8, 2001

By A Customer

As a fitness instructor for the past 15 years, I have worked with many women and helped them with their struggles with weight management issues. One of the most frequently asked questions I would get is "Do hormones make you fat?". Well, I know that the studies tell us that hormone replacement therapy does not cause weight gain, but many of my clients would like to convince you otherwise. Well, after an unexpected total hysterectomy at age 36, I was asking the same question! I was thrilled to find this book, Women, Weight and Hormones, by Dr. Vliet. She answered so many of the questions I was trying to find answers to for MYSELF! Through the information in the book, I have been able to work with my physician and individualize my HRT. I see a big difference in my energy level now, and have adjusted my eating habits to give me a better balance fuel for the entire day. I am having to deal with issues much sooner than I ever anticipated and issues that I have been working with my middle-aged clients for years. Now, I feel I have a real resource not only for myself but also for my female clients. Thank you Dr. Vliet writing such a wonderful book - it really has helped put me on the right track after my hysterectomy.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS OUTSTANDING!, December 1, 2003

By	Larisa Meschi (Naperville, IL United States) - See all my reviews

I have battled a hormone imbalance for over 20 years. This imbalance does not show up on routine hormone tests - mainly due to the way modern medicine views and tests female hormones. I read this book and was shocked to discover why most of the over-the-counter self remedies (soy, T3, natural progesterone creams, DHEA, etc.) I tried actually made my imbalance WORSE -- some of those treatments could have caused lethal effects when combined with my particular imbalance. This author raises NUMEROUS common sense paradigm shifts in medical thinking regarding diagnosis and treatment options which affect weight and hormones. This one book explained everything I've ever read about hormones and weight in a way that was applicable and useful - not slanted towards the purchase of a product. Basic knowledge vital for female health.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Have to Disagree with New York on this one, March 3, 2004

By A Customer

I went back & read The Menopause Diet and found nothing at all similar about Dr. Vliet's recommendations in Women, Weight & Hormones. In fact, many of the things the Menopause Diet recommends (Soy, over-the-counter progesterone cremes, etc.) are advised against by Dr. Vliet in Women, Weight & Hormones as many of these over-the-counter fad remedies actually become quite dangerous when combined with a hormonal imbalance. Perhaps one could make a mistake by skimming both books, but if you actually read them both, they are very different concepts in female healthcare.