Wrestling over the thermostat

It’s not just an old wives’ tale. Women do feel cold more quickly than men and generally feel colder longer. Researchers attribute the difference to size. The smaller you are, the colder you will be, at least in theory, because you shed heat faster than a much larger person. Scientists also report that men typically have more muscle mass, which generates heat. And women tend to have colder hands than men, according to a study from the University of Utah Medical School.

Perhaps that’s why a recent poll found that women are more likely to control the thermostat.

Only 40% of the 1,500 consumers who answered the poll, sponsored by a website that connects homeowners to home service professionals, found that men made the decisions at home over whether it was too hot, too cold or just right. Meanwhile, 55% of the respondents gave that authority to women, while 4% reported that their pets received the greatest consideration, even more so than their children, only 1% of whom could persuade Mom or Dad to turn up the heat, according to the www.servicemagic.com survey.