At least one new study suggests that we spend too much time scaring people about the risks of getting some sun.
Sunshine is not the main cause of the most dangerous form of skin cancer, according to researchers, who say some warnings about the perils of sunbathing are scaring people unnecessarily.
Scientists, whose research appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Genetics, claim the number of moles on your skin is the most important factor in the risk of getting melanoma. This reignites the debate over whether official health warnings about avoiding the sun are overstated.
The authors of the research paper maintain sunshine causes only a small proportion of melanoma cases. They believe health warnings would be more useful if they focused on people who have more than 100 moles, and taught them to check regularly the moles for changes in shape, size or colour.
I don’t know how accurate this study is, but it is worth noting that we get a lot more warnings about behaviors that have a potential solution that makes a few billion bucks a year. Without sunscreen makers, would we hear as many warnings about over-exposure?
