British Team Claims Benefits Of Sunbathing May Outweigh Perils

Mirror staff

   A three-page article in the British Medical Journal that has kicked up a storm in England is likely to cause a similar commotion here.
   Written by Andrew Ness, Stephen Frankel, David Gunnell and George Davey Smith, colleagues at Bristol University’s department of social medicine and respected epidemiologists, the article posits that sunbathing has certain benefits, rather than being the merciless killer the medical establishment has warned us about.
   The Bristol team wrote, “There is evidence that the potential benefits of exposure to sunlight may outweigh the widely publicized adverse effects on the incidence of skin cancer. For many people, the small absolute increase in risk of melanoma could easily be outweighed by the effect of reduced sunlight on mood.”
   The article noted other benefits of sunbathing. Sunlight increases levels of vitamin D in the body and increased levels of vitamin D reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Vitamin D is also known to play a vital role in bone formation. Ultraviolet light in sunshine can assist in clearing up such skin conditions as psoriasis and acne.
Sunshine makes people feel better, increases a sense of mental well-being and can counter depression, which improves a person’s overall health.
   According to the article, many more Brits die from heart disease than from skin cancer.
   When the article appeared, spokesmen for Cancer research organizations and the medical establishment immediately reiterated the now well-known dangers of too much sun. In addition to the deadly skin cancer, they cited the sun’s non-lethal effects on skin, such as reducing its elasticity, leading to “a wrinkled, leathery appearance.
   They also said excessive exposure to the sun may be linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, another form of potentially fatal cancer.”
In an interview with the London Sunday Times, Ness said, “We thought we would be accused of being silly by the cancer charities, but did not imagine the reaction would be as big as this….
   We’re not questioning the fact that skin cancer is a completely undesirable condition and is clearly related to exposure to the sun—we’re trying to draw up a balance sheet and consider those aspects of sun exposure that could be beneficial on the evidence available.”
   Commenting on the commotion, Jonathan Rees, a dermatologist at Newcastle University, told The Daily Telegraph, “The question is how should people alter their lives? That is where it gets tricky. Our response should be proportionate to the risk. Death from skin cancer is less than one percent of all mortality.
   “It is not a nice way to die. It is horrific. But there is no equation that allows you to trade that risk against all the happiness so many people get from running around in the sun and having their kids play on the beach at Majorca.”