In Reply to: Good idea gecko, I love dark skin, and posted by Balimagic on Saturday, 6. May 2006 at 08:28 Bali Time:
I watched a program the other day which highlighted medical problems which are now emerging as people become sunphobic.
In Bali lower caste people are associated with dark ski as they are generally those who work in the sun. Hence the wish to appear light skinned.
This is taken from a medical paper.
"The same DNA-damaging, sunburn-causing UVB wavelengths that sunscreens are designed to block also do some good: They kick off the chemical and metabolic chain reaction that produces vitamin D. Research shows that many people have low vitamin D levels. There is a well-documented relationship between low vitamin D levels and poor bone health. Now links have been made to everything from multiple sclerosis to prostate cancer. 'Linking' low vitamin D with these diseases doesn't prove cause-and-effect, but it suggests that possibility. Getting some sun may also shake off the wintertime blues: Research suggests that light hitting your skin, not just your eyes, helps reverse seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Moreover, being outside gets us golfing, gardening, and engaging in other types of physical activity."
"Nobody wants to get skin cancer, but we've gone from sun worship to sun dread. Dr. Stern and others say there is a middle way that includes using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 when you're outside for an extended period and wearing a hat and shirt around midday. So when summer's here, get outside and enjoy it!"