Tanning Salons
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The Truth about Tanning Salons!
The safety of tanning beds is certainly a controversial issue. The owners/operators of tanning facilities argue, "Sun tanning in moderation is good for you." They state that "regular, moderate tanning improves physical and mental health in many ways" and that "sunlight produces more energy, improves heart and lung functions, boosts blood oxygen levels, provides better muscle tone, even reduces cholesterol." The argument continues, "sunlight helps humans produce vitamin D in their skin and that it even cuts cancer risks dramatically." The tanning industry reports that "lack of sunlight can cause depression and other mental illnesses," stating that "lack of sun actually causes 10 times more sickness and death than too much sun could ever cause."1 Dr. Michael Holick, Director of the General Clinical Research Center at the Boston University School of Medicine, and the director of the school's Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Center, has given his endorsement to the beneficial effects of tanning. He has stated, "We think in general the population is in risk of vitamin D deficiency chronically at all ages. Only by having adequate exposure to sunlight or taking much more vitamin D will you satisfy your vitamin D requirements...