You know how women at your office are always wearing sweaters or wrapped in blankets when it’s 90 degrees out? There’s actually a legitimate reason.
A new study out of the Netherlands just figured out why women are always cold at the office.
It turns out that most buildings are still being heated and cooled based on standards from the 1960s. Aall of the numbers then were based on the metabolism of men.
But since men are usually heavier and more muscular than women, they have a much higher metabolic rate. That means men need it much colder to be comfortable.
Also, men tend to wear warmer clothes to work than women: pants are warmer than skirts, men’s shirts are thicker than women’s blouses, and shoes with closed toes are warmer than sandals or open-toed shoes.
So what’s the answer? It seems like there really isn’t one. Even as smart thermostats become more popular, men and women just need different temperatures.
So unless someone invents a system that heats or cools everyone’s area individually, women may have to keep on wearing sweaters in August.
