Tanorexia Epidemic

The swine flu is scary since you haven't much control...but how about consciously taking part in an activity that will probably kill you all for the sake of a fake image you'd like to project?
Tanorexia, its now being called.
Nearly 30 million people tan indoors every year in the United States, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, and 2.3 million of them are teens. People get addicted to tanning beds, one small study suggested. The UV light is thought to affect moods, and to stop going can bring on withdrawal symptoms.
Tanning beds are a $5 billion-a-year industry in the United States, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation (that's up from an estimate of $2 billion in 2006). The tanning salon industry has in the past claimed the UV light is harmless and even healthy. One claim from proponents is that tanning prevents sunburn, thereby reducing the chance of skin cancer.
But UV tanning, from the sun or in a bed, damages genetic information in cells and is linked to the development of skin cancer, researchers at Wake Forest University found. The Skin Cancer Foundation agrees. The darkening of skin is a direct result of damaged cells. more HERE
Hollywood's obsession with tanning isn't helping, either. Take Kim Kardashian, for example. The star recently sought advice for curing sunburn lines — after dozing off in a tanning bed with extraordinarily large sunglasses on — then posted the pics on Twitter. Could the reality TV star be suffering from "tanorexia," a compulsive need to be tan? more HERE

Related:
Texas House OKs indoor tanning ban for some teens
Bill Would Restrict Tanning For Ohio Teens