News Flash: Tanning Beds in Health Clubs Remain a Popular but Dangerous Trend, New Research Says.
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Really? Well, according to “Top 5 Central” on YouTube, here’s the Top 5 Most Dangerous
Trends (as of 8/5):
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5. Fire Challenge: lighting oneself on fire
4. Backpack Challenge: running through a gauntlet dodging backpacks thrown at you
3. Salt & Ice Challenge: wetting skin, applying salt and then ice, resulting in topical burns
2. Cinnamon Challenge: ingest a tablespoon of the spice and try to hold it down
1. Snort a Condom Challenge: in through the nasal passage and out through the mouth
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Note: DO NOT TRY THESE!
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So, why do anti-tanners still put a negative focus on controlled UV exposure? The story in Club Industry (goo.gl/JBggPp) claims that 25 percent of Americans who tan do so in health clubs, and of those individuals, 67 percent tan more frequently than those who tan outside of health clubs, according to new research published in the JAMA Dermatology Journal. According to another JAMA study, an estimated 9.7 million people tan indoors each year. An estimated 3,200 people are hospitalized each year due to tanning-related injuries, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). WHOA. Stop right there – time for some numbers analysis. That would mean that 0.00032% of those who tan may have suffered a tanning related injury. Compare that to the risk of the aforementioned “Top 5” dangerous trends. The defense rests.
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In “A Comparison of Tanning Habits Among Gym Tanners and Other Tanners,” published July 18, researchers assessed nationally representative survey data of 636 Americans who had tanned indoors at least once to better understand the motivating factors surrounding indoor tanning, particularly in the health club space. More number-crunching. They surveyed 0.0000001% of indoor tanners. Hmm … not much of a survey, wouldn’t you say?
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Approximately 25 percent of those surveyed tanned at a health club, according to the research. That group of health club-tanners also tanned 67 percent more frequently than those who used tanning beds outside of health clubs.
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Well, I don’t find that earth-shattering. The “look good, feel good” concept has been a positive force that has been driving people to many lifestyle activities for quite some time. It certainly cannot be surprising that the people who work out and exercise are interested in their appearance. Guess what else they found? Those who tanned at health clubs were more physically active and exercised more than those who did not tan – another positive. The research pointed out that Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness, two of the largest health club chains in the U.S. with a combined membership of 13 million, offer indoor tanning.
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The report goes further: “These facilities are offering their customers one very healthy behavior and one very unhealthy behavior under the same roof,” lead study author, Sherry Pagoto, a professor of allied health sciences at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, told Consumer Reports. “No one would suggest putting a cigarette machine in the gym, and for the same reason, they shouldn’t have tanning beds, either.”
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OMG. Millions of people weigh the risk and benefit of controlled UV exposure with sessions delivered by skin type and a timer to minimize overexposure and sunburn. Comparing that to smoking cigarettes? I beg to differ!
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Team IST searches for erroneous, suspect or negative reporting by the media that adversely impacts the tanning industry. Reports such as these have plagued tanning businesses for decades. Although the media sources will seldom admit a falsehood and print a retraction, IST offers these well-crafted responses to the negative reports that can be shared with your customers and potential customers, alike.
