Look for Sun and Solarium Tanorexia

Look for sun and solarium: Tanorexia

23/10/2014

In our culture, people who are very pale are often more pitiful. Or it is even suspected a disease behind it. People with tanned skin, on the other hand, usually reap positive reactions, such as: „Gave a lot of sun on your holiday destination?“ The need for tanning can also become an addiction, experts then speak of Tanorexia.

Tanned skin finds recognition
Pale people tend to be pitied in our culture. Especially facial blanching is quickly linked to illnesses. People with tanned skin, on the other hand, are reaping the recognition. A sentence like „But you have become pretty pale“ you probably would not hear in Europe. But actually the health risks, which can bring excessive sunbathing, are known. When the need for sun and solarium becomes addictive, Tanorexie experts talk. In a recent article is dedicated „Time online“ the topic.

Self-perception of those affected is disturbed
Tanorexie (tanning addiction) is a word of tan (tan) and anorexia nervosa (anorexia). The eating behavior, however, plays less of a role for sun and solarium addicts. They are primarily about a brown-tanned body as a beauty ideal. However, the self-perception of those affected, similar to anorexia or bulimia, disturbed conspicuously. Many Tanorexics perceive themselves as pale and unattractive, even if their skin is already overly tanned. In many cases self-esteem decreases.

Skin cancer due to too much UV light
Excessive craving for sun or artificial UV light poses a major health risk. That's how you get sick „Time“-According to article in this country every year about 130,000 humans at skin cancer. The German Cancer Aid, however, assumes much higher numbers. Dermatologists consider the excessive exposure to UV light as a major risk factor. This was one of the reasons why solarium use in Germany has been banned since 2009 for minors.

Not recognized as a disease
US researchers recently came to a conclusion that sun is as addictive as drugs. Among other things, they had found that mice reacted with withdrawal symptoms such as tremors and teeth chattering when they were given drugs that block the radiation-induced formation of certain substances. Even though Tanorexia is considered an addiction in many countries, it has not been recognized as a disease in Germany so far. (Ad)