"Man Flu" Stops Men Getting Sympathy They Deserve
It’s a common occurrence for women to dismiss their husbands and boyfriends’ list of cold ailments as “man flu”, yet new research reveals over half of the UK admit the term stops men getting the sympathy they might deserve when they are actually ill.
The term ‘man flu’ is commonly used to insinuate that men are not as well equipped as women when dealing with coughs and colds. And this could be true, with as many as one in three men asserting they are hit harder by cold and flu, and a further two thirds of Brits believing that women are the most proactive at cold and flu management, according to the research carried out by Heinz 'Get Well' Soup.
However, sympathy soon wears thin as 42 per cent of Brits still think their partner sometimes exaggerates symptoms when feeling poorly for sympathy. And perhaps our actions reflect this, as surprisingly only three in ten of us will stay in bed when ill, with 15 per cent still cooking for their family.
Matthew Cullum, from Heinz Soup, adds: “Interestingly women seemed better equipped to fight the common cold, whilst men are hit harder. It’s the little things that help lift our spirits when we’re feeling under the weather. The findings from Heinz also demonstrate the warmth and comfort we get from soup, by revealing that it is still our favourite when you’re feeling under the weather.”
Over a third of us admit we feel more emotional when we have a cold and 43 per cent say a bowl of soup lifts their spirits when they are feeling under the weather, beating chocolate and a book.
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