Intelligence Squared How Well do we Understand the Female Body? With Polly Vernon
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Aug 12, 2025 Join Polly Vernon, a Guardian feature writer and author of 'How The Female Body Works', as she delves into the complexities of women's health. She highlights how female bodies undergo significant changes during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Polly discusses medical misogyny and the knowledge gap in women's healthcare. Insights into unique injuries female athletes face are shared, alongside tips for healthy aging, exercise, and nutrition. Ultimately, the conversation encourages an open dialogue about women's health and the importance of self-compassion.
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Make Strength Training Non-Negotiable
- Do strength train: it's essential for women's mobility, bone health and slowing age-related muscle loss.
- Treat strength training as non-negotiable and use it to prevent osteoporosis after menopause.
Mental Health Patterns Differ By Gender
- Women receive more anxiety and depression diagnoses but presentation, internalisation and care-seeking differ by gender.
- Some menopausal symptoms were misdiagnosed as mental illness and diagnostic trends can overcorrect either way.
Alzheimer's Risk Is Higher In Women
- Women are diagnosed with Alzheimer's about twice as often; longer life partly explains it but not entirely.
- Research suggests oestrogen loss in menopause and greater gender equality across generations may influence risk.
