Body thermostats and building thermostats

Denver Post/Houston Chronicle:

Pam Moore tugs at her sweater and glares at her male co-worker.

"When we came in this morning, I was shaking, and he was just fine," said Moore, a vocational counselor at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver, channeling the many women who don sweaters and swaddle in afghans but just can't seem to stay warm in the office.

Why are women so cold, especially in the office? Biology and clothing share much of the blame. But there is hope for those women clutching blankets at work. Smarter buildings and personal temperature controls might be the wave of the future.

There are biological differences between women and men that make women feel colder, said Dr. Tom Denberg, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

The blood vessels under a woman's skin constrict more than a man's do, so less blood circulates close to the skin's surface. Less blood closer to the surface makes the skin colder, Denberg said.

Cornell University professor Alan Hedge conducted a 2004 study on temperature in the workplace. He said the way women dress contributes to the chill factor.

The neck and ankles are the most sensitive parts of the body to temperature. While men wear socks and collared shirts, women rarely do. This leaves more of their skin exposed and makes them colder.

What's more, men have hairier skin than women, which allows them to keep heat closer to their bodies.

"It's the same concept as a fur coat," Hedge said. "If women didn't shave their legs, then they might be a little better off."

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There is more. I personally think shaved legs are pretty hot. At home my problem is the opposite. My wife likes it meat locker cold while I prefer temperature in the mid 70's.