Suzanne Somers (1) (1946–2023)

There are about three sentences of really good, enlightening information in this book which I had tried and failed to get out of multiple health care providers. That made The Sexy Years well worth the price. Most of it is fluff and nonsense, but kudos to Ms. Somers for making an effort when our misogynistic culture refuses to acknowledge that this is a problem that even needs to be addressed. I do disagree with her contention that women are fearful of menopause. Rather they are pissed-off show more and frustrated with a medical establishment that consistently ignores their needs. Criticisms of her efforts in this arena are mis-directed and need to be pointed instead at a system that fails to address women's healthcare. Hopefully, her work will lead more women to take an activist approach to taking care of their health and if their physician doesn't take them seriously that they will keep looking until they find one who will. show less

My general sense of this book: Lots of great information offered, but the reading experience is too much like sitting through an infomercial.

To begin with, most, if not all, of this information is not new. That being said, the content is arranged well and is easy to follow. Somers talks about a variety of issues behind chronic illnesses, from diet and digestion to environmental toxins like mold. She offers insight into avoiding the pitfalls of our modern life, as well as treatments for the show more wide array of resulting chronic health problems. While the tone is overly enthusiastic, bordering on preachy, the content is solid and well researched. She also interviews a few doctors at length, offering us a professional viewpoint.

All good, right?

Not so much. And here we come to my main problem with this book. Somers tells us throughout her narrative that each of us can get well if we simply follow her instructions and see the right doctors when necessary for treatment. She proclaims this with such excitement, over and over, that we begin to believe her. Until we take a closer look.

To give you a general idea: I have chronic Lyme disease with severe neurological complications. In this book, Somers mentions a doctor who has an incredibly high success rate in treating this disease. She talks about his treatment plan and how anyone in my situation can get well. I looked him up and found, much to my amazement, that he is within a 45 minute drive from my house. I was thrilled. Momentarily, at least. Then I explored his website. No insurance information, because he does not accept insurance. (Most of his treatments wouldn't be covered, anyway.) But I'm prepared for that. What I want is a cost estimate. I looked. And looked. His website doesn't even list the cost of an office visit. Not a good sign. Next I explored message boards talking about his treatment. And, yes, patients love him. The cost? A minimum of $3,000 per WEEK! Someone like me, with long term, multiple problems, would need about six months to stabilize just enough to cut visits to once or twice a month.

Not once throughout this book does Somers acknowledge the absurdity of her proclamations for those of us who do not have unlimited funds. Even for those with an upper middle class income, following these treatment plans for any sort of chronic illness is an impossibility. If you're wealthy, then, sure, this book and these doctors will help you. If you're an average person with a chronic illness mainstream medicine can't handle, then you're still very much on your own.

But don't despair yet. The last quarter of the book lists an assortment of ailments, along with all the supplements/herbs you need to take in order to get well. Somers even gives us the best brand and recommended dosages for treating the ailments. So, if we can't afford the doctors, we can at least help ourselves this way. Right?

Maybe. Depending on how sick you are, that is.

If I took every supplement recommended for every symptom and health issue I have, I'd need to stop paying my mortgage. Even if I could afford it, I'm not sure I could swallow that many pills.

I should also mention that all the recommended supplements come from companies Somers has her hand in. She directs us to these websites several times throughout the book. One website of hers won't even allow me to look at articles unless I sign up, which I won't do, so I have no idea how helpful anything there might be.

In the end, I found this book too self-serving, and completely out of touch with the main problem many of us with chronic illness face: finances. While some of the content is important, this is not the book I'd recommend reading.

*I received this book from Blogging For Books, in exchange for my honest review.* show less

Suzanne Somers has a contagious energy! With such an extreme lack of research and understanding of menopause and it's subsequent before, during, and after effects, every woman must educate herself. Ignore the constant BIHR (bio-identical hormone replacement) in this book, and reap the benefit of learning menopause-coping possibilities.

Feisty lady and Smart

Suzanne is a Hollywood maverick, as well as a medical maverick. I think it's worth finding out how and why she survived breast cancer. This book was more cerebral than I expected from Somers, People like her risk their lives because they believe in treatments the rest of us should probably shun. (I'm not interested in being a guinea pig like she was for unproven cures.) But it's her business, and her life and she may help point the way to new cures.