Published on May 5, 2016
May 5, 2016
In an effort to increase public awareness of the importance of sunshine to human health, we are declaring May to be “National Sunshine Month.”
With the transition from an agrarian to a technology-driven society, and other shifts in cultural behavior over the past several decades, Americans spend more time indoors than at any time in human history. The resulting decrease in exposure to sunlight is inhibiting our ability to fight many life-threatening diseases, including diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer and ironically, even skin cancer.
Missing sunlight puts us at serious risk of a multitude of dangerous health problems. It is essential that we improve public understanding of the need for sunshine exposure and its related health outcomes.
Over the next four weeks, we will teach you how to Harness the Power of the Sun for Health. Our goal is to provide you with education and tools to (1) assess your current situation, (2) set sunshine goals, (3) track vitamin D levels, and (4) record health outcomes.
Advice from some within the medical community, and even our own government, encouraging Americans to avoid the sun is an immense threat to human health.