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I live in Sweden, I have traveled with Swedish people to the Philippines. Many of them never get tanned, they just get red. The article criticizes the generali

I live in Sweden, I have traveled with Swedish people to the Philippines. Many of them never get tanned, they just get red. The article criticizes the generalization of using sunscreen advice, and proceeds to go full-generalization itself. The study that the article is based on may be very interesting, the article is just misleading. If there is parts of the population that avoid too much to be under sunlight, it is worth studying. Asking the general public to stop using sunscreen is just bad advice.

thayne 6y ago
If you get all the way to the call to action, it doesn't actually say to stop using sunscreen altogether. It basically says you should make sure you get some sun, but not too much. Which I don't think is anything new.
- jbotz 6y ago
  Actually, the point of this article is that it is something new... for the last few decades the medical establishment and of course the sun-screen industry have been absurdly dogmatic and absolutists, telling people to avoid all sun, and anyone who dared to say that it was OK or even desirable to get a bit of sun was vilified (in one case lost his position as department chair of dermatology at Boston U). I think this article is spot on. And like you say it doesn't say to avoid sunscreen altogether... it says: "Each person’s needs vary so much with season, latitude, skin color, personal history, philosophy, and so much else that it’s impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all recommendation."
  - thayne 6y ago
    Well I've had my doctor tell me I needed more sunlight.
Merad 6y ago
Yep, I’m fair skinned (Scots-Irish heritage) and live in the US south (North Carolina). If I’m very careful to build up my sun exposure all spring I can tolerate moderate amounts of sun without burning... but if I went out tomorrow for even an hour in direct sun anywhere near mid-day, I’d have a major sunburn. I’ve been more careful to use sunscreen for the last decade or so after seeing my dad’s experience with skin cancers. His aren’t the “serious” kind but basically every time I see him he has fresh scars from having cancerous spots cut or burned off. No thanks.

thayne 6y ago

If you get all the way to the call to action, it doesn't actually say to stop using sunscreen altogether. It basically says you should make sure you get some sun, but not too much. Which I don't think is anything new.

jbotz 6y ago
Actually, the point of this article is that it is something new... for the last few decades the medical establishment and of course the sun-screen industry have been absurdly dogmatic and absolutists, telling people to avoid all sun, and anyone who dared to say that it was OK or even desirable to get a bit of sun was vilified (in one case lost his position as department chair of dermatology at Boston U). I think this article is spot on. And like you say it doesn't say to avoid sunscreen altogether... it says: "Each person’s needs vary so much with season, latitude, skin color, personal history, philosophy, and so much else that it’s impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all recommendation."
- thayne 6y ago
  Well I've had my doctor tell me I needed more sunlight.

Merad 6y ago

Yep, I’m fair skinned (Scots-Irish heritage) and live in the US south (North Carolina). If I’m very careful to build up my sun exposure all spring I can tolerate moderate amounts of sun without burning... but if I went out tomorrow for even an hour in direct sun anywhere near mid-day, I’d have a major sunburn. I’ve been more careful to use sunscreen for the last decade or so after seeing my dad’s experience with skin cancers. His aren’t the “serious” kind but basically every time I see him he has fresh scars from having cancerous spots cut or burned off. No thanks.