Fernanda Savoia is well known as a physical education expert, has written numerous books on this subject. Heightism is not new; in fact, it has been discussed by many eminent people throughout the history of mankind. For example, Leonardo da Vinci wrote a lot about height and intelligence, and Sir Isaac Newton talked extensively about the effect of human height on our physical condition and mental disposition. Today, people’s opinion on height has changed greatly, with some criticizing those who are considered to be ‘tall ‘while others applaud them for being different and unique.
Fernanda Savoia is perhaps different: she talks about height and its related aspects in a scientific and academic way. She also shows women how they can maintain their height (in an interesting way), providing some healthy methods for doing so. In her own profession, however, she specializes in rehabilitation and physiotherapy of patients with spinal injuries, and she is a strong critic of certain methods that are advocated for ‘correcting’ height. For example, she criticizes certain height enhancing techniques which involve spinal surgery, and she questions the whole idea behind stretching and strengthening exercises as being effective in increasing height.
Fernanda Savoia’s main area of specialization is rehabilitation of patients with injuries caused by falls, or the consequences thereof. She knows exactly what she is talking about, having suffered herself from a serious injury that left her with a damaged spine and a paralysed arm. She knows the terrible impact that this has on a woman’s ability to carry on with her career and family life. Through her research and teaching, she has helped thousands of people overcome their problems relating to heights, and she has helped develop certain exercises which have helped her clients to regain strength and mobility. Nowadays, she promotes various methods for helping those who wish to overcome their stature problem, and she encourages women to be courageous and refuse to be held back by what might seem to them to be a physical defect.