Sun Exposure: a Public Relations Nightmare

Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s there were three things to fear as a child: kidnappers in vans, quicksand, and sun exposure. It seems as though kidnapping chilled out, quicksand never showed up, and the sunscreen companies got paid. Nonetheless, the fact remains that Vitamin D deficiency is a massive public health issue. 

Maybe sunshine isn’t the Boogie Man, after all. 

Here’s what we know:

1. A billion people worldwide are Vitamin D deficient.
2. Half of the population has Vitamin D insufficiency.
3. At least, 35% of adults in the US are Vitamin D deficient. 

While Vitamin D can be supplemented, the greatest source of it is from sun exposure. And, no, your computer screen won’t do. 

The complications with having low Vitamin D levels are difficult to list in total. Acute feelings of fatigue, depression, and bone/muscle pain are the tip of the iceberg. Chronic conditions can stem from a shortage of Vitamin D, too. Osteoporosis, for example, is a common long term condition that results from low Vitamin D levels. 

In a society that is more and more in front of a screen and living indoors, it’s never been more important to get outside in the sun. Your health depends on it!