Are Moms to Blame for Tanorexic Teens?
Your mom is always giving you pearls of wisdom for advice. Don't drink, don't smoke, don't stay out too late, by the time we turned 16 our "Don't" laundry list was growing at rapid speed. But did your mom ever tell you not to tan? According to MSNBC in a recent study published December issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology many teens reported that they actually go tanning with their mothers.
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The study showed that 40 percent of women said their first tanning experience was with their mother, and those who did a mother daughter trip started indoor tanning two years earlier than participants who went solo. These girls were also classified as being five times more likely to be "heavy tanners" (tanning more than 25 times a year).
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The study definitely raises a valid point. Young girls who had to sit outside and wait for their mothers to soak up the artificial rays would naturally start joining them once they turned 14, the earliest a teen can start tanning in many states with parental permission. Plus, with no drivers license yet, these girls relied on their mothers to escort them to and from the tanning bed, even more of a reason for a joint trip.
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Are you surprised by the findings of this study? Did you mother ever take you tanning or did she make sure to warn you of the potentially dangerous side effects? Post your experiences with us below.
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
