Man flu
Encyclopedia
Man flu is a pejorative
term that refers to the idea many men, when they have a cold
, exaggerate and claim they have the flu
— the implication being that women do not do so. Whilst a commonly used phrase in the UK, it is referred to in other cultures and there is a growing scientific basis for the phrase.
magazine in late 2006 stirred interest in this notion, which was criticised as unscientific and unreliable. It has been suggested that such exaggeration is possibly just as prevalent in women.
However, regardless of any scientific basis, the idea behind man flu has been present in popular culture, and has even been the source of controversy when used in advertising.
According to Cambridge University researchers, evolutionary factors have led to the male system becoming more vulnerable to illness.
A 2010 survey by the Office for National Statistics
reported on by the BBC World Service
suggested that women call in sick twice as often as men do.
In 2011, a study conducted at the University of Queensland confirmed the existence of "man flu" by discovering that pre-menopausal women boasted a far more resilient immune system than men, and asserted that this was due to the biological imperative of women being "more likely to ensure the survival of the species.”
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
term that refers to the idea many men, when they have a cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
, exaggerate and claim they have the flu
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
— the implication being that women do not do so. Whilst a commonly used phrase in the UK, it is referred to in other cultures and there is a growing scientific basis for the phrase.
Popular culture
A web-based survey of readers of NutsNuts (magazine)
Nuts is a weekly lad mag published in the United Kingdom. It was the first weekly lads magazine to be published in the UK and is sold every Tuesday...
magazine in late 2006 stirred interest in this notion, which was criticised as unscientific and unreliable. It has been suggested that such exaggeration is possibly just as prevalent in women.
However, regardless of any scientific basis, the idea behind man flu has been present in popular culture, and has even been the source of controversy when used in advertising.
Scientific basis
A study published in 2009 was widely reported as supporting the concept that "man flu" exists, but many believe that the media were misunderstanding and/or misrepresenting the science. The study had nothing to do with the flu (the experiment was related to bacterial, not viral, infection) and was performed on genetically modified mice rather than human beings, so the results are not necessarily applicable to humans.According to Cambridge University researchers, evolutionary factors have led to the male system becoming more vulnerable to illness.
A 2010 survey by the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
reported on by the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
suggested that women call in sick twice as often as men do.
In 2011, a study conducted at the University of Queensland confirmed the existence of "man flu" by discovering that pre-menopausal women boasted a far more resilient immune system than men, and asserted that this was due to the biological imperative of women being "more likely to ensure the survival of the species.”