posted
**Does a quick search in Medical, doesn't find anything**
The theory is that people in the south have thinner blood than us folks up north. The reasoning is that it's warmer in the south, so they don't need the fatty blood, whereas we do up here.
Has anyone ever heard this theory? Is it true? Please direct me to the right place if it has indeed been covered on here
mrs.hi-"thick-blooded, check it and see"C
-------------------- This song has no title...just words and a tune.
posted
I always thought it was more metaphorical than factual. But yes, I hear the term used constantly.
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posted
It has nothing to do with blood, it's pretty much an acclimation thing.
I've personally moved from the upper mid west to the West coast and back. There was always a period when the climate was too intense (too hot in the west, too cold in the mid west), but after a couple of years I acclimated.
I have a brother, one year my senior, who I grew up with. When I was 18 I moved to Michigan where the winters are long and cold. When he visited in the winter a few years ago, he would bundle up in parka, hat and gloves and still complain loudly about the cold when it was barely below freezing. On the same days, I wore a long sleeve shirt, but no coat. But my first winter in Michigan was killer.
Beach...and in Key West, 70 is sweater weather...Life!
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My family and I grew up mostly in New York. One day my sister moved to Texas. It was about 60 degree one day in Austin, people are wearing winter coats and staring at my crazy sister because she is driving around with the windows open. But, a couple years later she comes to visit for Christmas, the temperature drops to about 20, and she is freezing to death.
Somewhat similar for me. While visiting Egypt one night, I am out wearing a short sleeved shirt, while other people around me were staring because they were wearing sweaters.
After living in Maryland for 4 years I moved to the upper penninsula of Michigan. By October I was starting to feel cold. But, after a nice polar bear swim in Lake Superior (water was probably about 45 degress that day) I seemed to start adjusting to the cold again.
As for "fatty blood", I'm sure that is nonsense. If there were extra fat in my blood from cold weather then the heart attack rate here in Michigan would probably be about 10 times the rate in southern states. As far as I know that is not true. It all has to do with being acclimated to the weather.
Posts: 479 | From: Owosso, MI | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
My question is "how would fat in the blood effect temperature regulation?" I understand that fatty tissue layers add insulation (polar bears, seals, etc.), but I assumed the 'thick blood' was, as CannonFodder said, a metaphore.
Dog --what's a metta for?--water
-------------------- As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly. Posts: 1679 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
As someone who often accuses people of having "no blood" or "thin blood"...LOL... this is what I've heard it explained as..........
Those up north have the chance to build "immunity" towards the cold (that is, they simply get used to it). Those down south do not have this chance.
Therefore, those down south, when accosted by anything colder than 75*, they say it's too cold, they are freezing, etc. It's simply because they've not had the chance to acclimate themselves to colder weather. (It's also why, I'm told, the snowbirds come south for the winter).
I am born/raised/living in South Florida. I see this all the time. We just had temperatures of 30* in the evening. I was running around in shorts. I've honestly never lived anywhere long enough to develop that acclimation--mine comes from having a hysterectomy too young and going through different hormonal changes--- 30* is wonderfully comfortable to me.
But to other southerners--I get the same "freak" looks; just as Northerners who come to visit are also walking around in shorts--they are used to it.
It has nothing to do with "fatty blood" (I don't even think that exists)--but everything to do with acclimation over time of the surrounding weather patterns.
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quote:When he visited in the winter a few years ago, he would bundle up in parka, hat and gloves and still complain loudly about the cold when it was barely below freezing. On the same days, I wore a long sleeve shirt, but no coat. But my first winter in Michigan was killer.
I dunno, us Chicagoans tend to complain about the cold a lot although that might be more for something to do/talk about... Of course if it hits 45 in midwinter around here you see plenty of people with no coats, and some with short sleeves or even shorts. (I also know one guy who lives in MI and wears shorts pretty much year round, but he has such thick hair on his legs it probably keeps him warm enough hehe)
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posted
"Thin" blood usually refers to anemia - a low red blood cell count. If you look at the blood in a tube, it looks thinner and lighter in color than blood with a normal red cell count. People with anemia do have less tolerance for cold temperatures.
Posts: 229 | From: Lynchburg, VA | Registered: Jan 2005
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although that might be more for something to do/talk about... Of course if it hits 45 in midwinter around here you see plenty of people with no coats, and some with short sleeves or even shorts. (I also know one guy who lives in MI and wears shorts pretty much year round, but he has such thick hair on his legs it probably keeps him warm enough hehe)
