The indoor-tanning industry is launching a national TV, newspaper and Web site campaign called "It's time to rethink sun bathing," arguing that tanning booths help protect from cancer by boosting Vitamin D intake.
It's true that research links low levels of vitamin D to higher risks of cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders, but some claim the Indoor Tanning Industry (ITA) is stretching the truth.
Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy medical director of the American Cancer Society says, "promoting only the health benefits of UV rays is 'like recommending smoking to reduce stress.'"
The ITA argues that dermatologists, oncologists and sunscreen makers are trying to make people fear the sun. "We are not advocating on behalf of tanning beds," says ITA spokesperson Sarah Longwell, "but on behalf of the sun."
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However, Cindy Davis, a research nutritionist at the National Cancer Institute counter argues that tanning actually slows the synthesis process of Vitamin D by making the skin darker, which make it more difficult to absorb vitamin D from the sun. Apparently, anyone younger than 50 can get the recommended daily dose of vitamin D from two glasses of milk.
Teenagers are at risk not only of the cancer-enhancing effects of too much tanning, but also of addiction to the tanning process itself. Some teens are said to suffer from "tanorexia," the addiction to tanning resulting from never feeling "enough."
Discussion StartersHow can youth ministries and parents protect teens from manipulative marketing schemes? What are your thoughts about the appropriateness of teenage use of tanning salons?
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