The expression man flu has been around since the beginning of the noughties, but gained more popular exposure in 2006 when the British magazine Nuts claimed the condition really did exist after conducting a poll of over 2000 of its (largely male) readers. The survey showed that 64% of men suffer from a viral illness compared with just 45% of women, and that men take on average three days to recover whereas women take only a day and a half. The conclusion was therefore drawn that man flu is: