Despite all of the known repercussions for our health, Americans continue to excessively use indoor salons to enhance their tans. San Diego State University researchers found that, in many cities, there are more tanning salons than there are Starbucks or McDonalds. This is a scary realization, considering that one of these two food chains is almost everywhere we look. It seems surprising that news of the growing prevalence of skin cancer these days has not diminished the public's desire to look a certain way, but on the other hand, the pressure to impress others with our appearance is often very high.
According to this article I found on msnbc.com, some contributing factors that make this activity so common are the affordable prices, available package deals, close proximity to our homes, school or work, and long salon hours. As for the more personal reasons why people choose to indulge: they enjoy the "healthy" glow of a tan, the relaxing feeling of laying in the sun, and the warmth of the bed on a cold winter day. Tanning is also one of my guilty pleasures once in a while for some of the same reasons, although I try to refrain as much as I can because the consequences do scare me. "[M]ore than 1 million people tan in tanning salons on an average day, nearly 70% of them girls and women aged 16 to 29." I think in later years, this is the exact cohort of people we will find to be most at risk for skin cancer and other problems such as damage to our vision.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29552556/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment