Found this on MSN
Man flu - it's official


A new report has confirmed what us women have all known for ages - that men are far more likely to interpret a bit of a sniffle as a life-threatening illness. Almost one in three men said they had taken time off work because of flu or colds, compared with one in five women questioned. The research is being heralded as proof of the existence of 'man flu'.



Jakki Stubbington, of Benenden Healthcare, which carried out the study, said: "All women know that 'man flu' exists and now here is official proof. Women have all seen men making a meal of a sniffle and claiming a bit of a cold is the latest, deadly flu virus.
"It is not, however, entirely a laughing matter. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the common cold and the symptoms can be very unpleasant and can make it hard to concentrate at work.
"Colds also have a nasty habit of working their way around the workplace, so it is important that staff take time off when they are suffering to reduce the chances of passing it on to their colleagues."
The research revealed that Britain is a nation blighted by the sniffles with colds and flu the most common causes of sick leave in the past year. Some 30 per cent of men said they had taken time off in the past year because of colds and flu, compared with just 22 per cent of womenResearchers estimate that the numbers taking days off work because of colds and flu adds up to 3.6 million people a year, or one in eight of the working population.
The second most common reason for time off was sickness and stomach bugs, with women almost twice as likely to give digestive problems as a reason for being absent from work.
Accidents, infections, family bereavements and headaches were also among the more common reasons not to turn up at work.
Some 4 per cent of absences were caused by backaches, with only 1 per cent of respondents admitting that they had taken time off work because of stress.
Two per cent of those questioned confessed to having a day off because they had a hangover, which the researchers estimate translates to 225,000 lost working days each year.
As well as these common conditions, over 1.16 million people had to take time off to have or recover from an operation, whilst 8% or around one million people were off after being injured in an accident. More concerning is that 225,000 people admitted to taking time off work due to the knock-on effects of alcohol from the night before.
The research also found that workers in Britain have collectively taken off around 78 million working days in the last 12 months, with some 13.9 million people having taken at least one day off work due to sickness.


Well what do you think?