OMG, Not A Sunburn!
An article in the Boston Globe looks at a Pediatrics study and throws out another scare to make us run into our caves. Like a horror movie it is titled:
Most students have been sunburned, survey shows
It then goes on to say the following:
Previous studies have shown that children who have just one sunburn nearly double their risk of developing melanoma later in life. More than half of the 360 Massachusetts adolescents surveyed in a recent study reported having had a sunburn.
A team of researchers, led by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Harvard School of Public Health, surveyed fifth-graders from Framingham, around age 10, in fall 2004 and again three years later. In both years, more than half said they had experienced at least one severe sunburn in the previous summer.
Are we still on this kick? Kids are so low in Vitamin D now that some are getting Rickets again. Vitamin D deficiency is a legitimate and common diagnosis due to the sun paranoia and gives such problems as muscle pain, depression, and on and on. The dermatologists continue to raise the “evil sun” flag but the truth is that we need some sun. Articles like these make parents scared and freak out if little Johnny gets a sunburn. Instead of that possible (and really unproven) risk they slather him with SPF 10000 or let him stay inside like a mole and play video games. We really need to stop these BS studies or call them out more ……like I am doing right now.
