



He found the results showed that men's stress levels went through the roof at the prospect of buying presents, while only one in four women even registered a slight change.





Stress levels as high as fighter pilots

"And I was surprised by the very high levels of stress we found amongst the men.

"We were looking at blood pressure and heart rates and the secretion of stress hormones really in some cases at a level we might expect to find in a combat pilot or a riot policeman in action.





He said that men enjoyed shopping as long as it was to buy "toys for boys" including hi-fis and computers.

And it was down to lack of experience, he felt, that men found consumerism such a daunting prospect.

He said: "Men do not do it very often. Women are still the major shoppers for things like food and cleaning materials."

Meanwhile, managers at Brent Shopping Centre, who commissioned the report, have introduced a personalised shopping service.

To take the stress out of purchasing, shoppers can pay someone else to do it for them - and then carry all the bags to their car.