Everyone’s body has a slightly different reaction to cold and some people feel cold more often than others, which is known as cold intolerance.

There are many factors that contribute to this, including:

Overall body size can impact how cold you feel, as smaller people have fewer cells in their body that produce heat
People with higher levels of body fat and/or muscle mass have more insulation and a higher resting metabolic rate so burn energy faster
Being active not only warms the body immediately but can have a long-term effect on temperature regulation
Older people also tend to have a slower resting metabolic rate, so may feel the cold more

These factors do mean that gender is a big divider, as women are generally smaller than men and carry less muscle mass. We’ve all fought over the thermostat in the office (or central heating while at home) but a it’s believed that there’s a universally comfortable temperature. “The temperature deemed comfortable for most people is meant to be about 21°C but actually, that’s ideal for a man in a suit. Women generally do better with a higher temperature,” says Dr Eglin.

Why am I so cold all the time? A GP explains why women get so cold so easily (and what to do about it)