Dec 4, 2022 06:32 PM
https://sciencenorway.no/the-human-body/...er/2118176
EXCERPTS: Some people complain that they are cold even in wool sweaters when others are comfortable in T-shirts. They're not kidding.
Are you one of those people who pulls on a thick sweater and woolly socks as soon as September hits? And do you always carry a woollen scarf in your bag just to be safe, even in the summer?
Turns out you’re not alone. The Norwegian language has a wonderful expression for such individuals: freezer sticks.
These are people who often say that they feel cold, especially their hands and feet, even when others are warm and comfortable. James Mercer is a professor emeritus at UiT Norway's Arctic University but is originally from Ireland. He says that the English language has no equivalent expression. Maybe it should.
Because ‘freezer sticks’ are real. They’re not just being whiny. They’re really freezing.
[...] “About ten per cent of the population are freezer sticks, and this group has more women than men,” says Mercer. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you'll find the warm-blooded folks – the ones who like to wear shorts in snowy weather and who almost always have warm hands.
[...] But why does this group feel cold when others don't?
Part of the explanation may simply have to do with size. A small body has a larger surface area relative to its mass compared to a large body. Since we lose heat from our outer surfaces, a small person will tend to get cold more easily.
Muscle mass also matters since muscles produce heat, body heat expert Christopher Minson from the University of Oregon tells the website Upworthy.
A study from 2018 actually showed that the proportion of muscle mass in the body was by far the most important explanation for why a person regained heat quickly after holding their hands in cold water. Body fat and overall size mattered much less.
This finding could perhaps explain why women more often have cold hands than men, as this 1998 study showed.
But there are probably several factors that contribute to determining whether you are a freezer stick or not. A large Korean twin study from 2012, for example, showed that cold hands and feet are hereditary... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Some people complain that they are cold even in wool sweaters when others are comfortable in T-shirts. They're not kidding.
Are you one of those people who pulls on a thick sweater and woolly socks as soon as September hits? And do you always carry a woollen scarf in your bag just to be safe, even in the summer?
Turns out you’re not alone. The Norwegian language has a wonderful expression for such individuals: freezer sticks.
These are people who often say that they feel cold, especially their hands and feet, even when others are warm and comfortable. James Mercer is a professor emeritus at UiT Norway's Arctic University but is originally from Ireland. He says that the English language has no equivalent expression. Maybe it should.
Because ‘freezer sticks’ are real. They’re not just being whiny. They’re really freezing.
[...] “About ten per cent of the population are freezer sticks, and this group has more women than men,” says Mercer. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you'll find the warm-blooded folks – the ones who like to wear shorts in snowy weather and who almost always have warm hands.
[...] But why does this group feel cold when others don't?
Part of the explanation may simply have to do with size. A small body has a larger surface area relative to its mass compared to a large body. Since we lose heat from our outer surfaces, a small person will tend to get cold more easily.
Muscle mass also matters since muscles produce heat, body heat expert Christopher Minson from the University of Oregon tells the website Upworthy.
A study from 2018 actually showed that the proportion of muscle mass in the body was by far the most important explanation for why a person regained heat quickly after holding their hands in cold water. Body fat and overall size mattered much less.
This finding could perhaps explain why women more often have cold hands than men, as this 1998 study showed.
But there are probably several factors that contribute to determining whether you are a freezer stick or not. A large Korean twin study from 2012, for example, showed that cold hands and feet are hereditary... (MORE - missing details)