On Monday, Mar 31, 2003, at 11:20 Australia/Perth, Phyllis Adamson
wrote:

> In my understanding, the 15 min per day doesn't have to be all at one
> time,
> or even EVERY day.

That's my understanding, also... but I'm reluctant to start advising
people "15 minutes of sunlight" for their children - as soon as you
start adding qualifications and caveats to public health advice, the
core message starts to be lost, and I fear we we risk an increasing
epidemic of skin cancer while trying to save our children from a
vanishingly rare risk of rickets.

> How about several small exposures between car & building
> & back again while mom's running errands?

Exactly, and that's how my son gets all of his sunlight/vitamin D. I am
just very sceptical as to the need to advise universal supplementation
_or_ regular sunlight in this group of people (fair kids in sunny
areas), as rickets just doesn't seem to be a problem unless they are
completely housebound - as it is with certain elderly people in nursing
homes.

> The times my kids got a
> sunburn were while playing, swimming, or on school outings.

You got that ozone layer thingy above you, right?  ;-)

Patrician asked:

> Are there high rates of melanoma in the adult Australian population?

Nearly a thousand deaths a year.
http://www.sunsmart.com.au/s/media/releases/2001/1111_mk_melanoma.htm

Lara

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