Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : August 5, 2015 3:02 PM IST
Many of us carry sweatshirts or scarves just to protect ourselves from the freezing temperatures in our office. But have you ever noticed that the number of women feeling the chill over men is high? Look around. Well, researchers have found the answer as to why this happens. A report published in the journal Nature, scientists, reveal that most office buildings set temperatures based on a formula that use the metabolic rate of men only. And as women produce less body heat than men, they are more likely to feel cold. Read: Is your workplace making you ill? (Expert Interview) |
The study was aimed at reducing gender discriminating bias in thermal comfort as setting temperatures at warmer levels could help fight global warming. Boris Kingma, a co-author of the study and a biophysicist at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands also informed that in a lot of building energy consumption is a lot higher because the standard is calibrated according to the body heat produced by men. The study also concluded that clothing is another factor that affects energy consumption, as men tend to wear suits even in the summers whereas women have the choice of wearing dresses suitable for the climate in summer. Read: Think twice before you buy an AC for your home
The study lists down few factors responsible for women feeling cold in the offices. These include air temperature, air speed, relative humidity, clothing, and metabolism. The study also offers solutions like changing the temperature setting formula. However, the scientists believe that larger studies are needed to confirm the findings.
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