SUNSHINE HAS ITS BENEFITS
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By Betty Lynne Leary, WNC Parent contributor
nstant information has become a way of life. What is treacle? Google it. When was the Streamline Moderne style fashionable? Check out Wikipedia. Who wrote that song you just heard in the grocery store? There’s an app for that too. While an endless stream of information may seem like the best thing since CDs replaced vinyl, the downside is that an overwhelming amount of sometimes conflicting information can be difficult to interpret. For example, doctors and dermatologists have warned for years that overexposure to the sun is dangerous. Researchers at the American Cancer Society estimate there will be more than 82,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in 2013. Other research has shown the UV radiation
may also increase the likelihood of certain cataracts and may even suppress the body’s immune system. To ward off the damaging effects of the sun, parents slather their babies, toddlers and tweens with the highest SPF sunscreen available even at a time when the Internet is abuzz with sites claiming that the chemicals in sunscreen are dangerous. Does the human body really need sunshine at all? The answer, of course, is not simple. “Clearly there are great benefits of outdoor activities especially for children,” says Dr. Gary Curran, a family physician with Pisgah Family Health in Asheville. “Outdoor play is recommended for children of all ages and a healthy target would be one to three hours per day. It reduces obesity, improves confidence, reduces depression and allows
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