Looks like it's only the mad dogs left...

At least if we follow the latest guidance from the Church of Public Health:

There is no safe or healthy way to get a tan from sunlight, new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has warned.

The health watchdog's latest guidance also says an existing tan provides little protection against sun exposure.

It recommends using at least factor 15 sun cream, with adults urged to use 6-8 teaspoons (35ml) per application.

Benefits from building up vitamin D from the sun have to be balanced with the risks of skin cancer, it adds.

You remember all those years ago when the merest glimpse of watery sunshine resulted in us stripping layers of clothing off to bask in its glory? When your mum, spotting the opportunity to get some peace and quiet threw you out into the garden with as few clothes on as possible (and sun cream - what is sun cream)? Those days are gone, the midday sun is left solely to the mad dogs.

What absolute frothing lunacy is this - rickets is on the increase and over 90% people with skin cancers survive but the Chief Medical Officer, NICE and the assorted fussbuckets prefer to scare us about cancer while not giving a damn about kids getting deformities from being kept in a dark room in case a ray of sunshine should accidentally splash onto an unprotected portion of skin.

The guidance goes into contortions that are more reminiscent of the hokey-cokey to describe how we can expose skin to build up Vitamin D with first one arm, then another exposed for a 'short period' to the evil rays or the dreaded sun.

It does seem that it's not the dogs that are mad but the entirety of the public health profession.

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Nice place Cullingworth....

Taken today - a view from near the former Wilsden Station (Harecroft) across Hewenden Reservoir towards East Manywells. Glorious!

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...how about sunbathing?

So we tell people that sunshine is bad for them, get mums to cover their kids in all-in-one suits and to daub them in factor 500 creams. And what do we get? Ah, yes! Rickets!

The NHS should consider checking pregnant women's vitamin D levels to protect babies from the "Victorian" bone disease rickets, an expert says.

A Journal of Medical Screening article suggests rickets was returning, with many women not getting enough vitamin D, which comes mainly from sunlight.

Apparently we must, because of this problem, now give pregnant women Vitamin D supplements:

A consultant paediatrician at Ealing's hospital, Dr Colin Michie, says the increased use of high-factor sun-cream means a lot of women who are not in at-risk groups are also vitamin D deficient.

He says the idea of screening is interesting, but he argues that providing free vitamin D supplements for all pregnant women would be cheaper and easier.

He believes this would lead to healthier babies and would save the NHS money.

Or we could just tell them to sunbathe. That would work!

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A little break...

I am having a break. It may involve food, drink and sunshine. And I deserve it!

As a result there won't be any blogging. I'm sure you'll cope - indeed thrive - without my daily rants, worries and whimsical nonsenses. Bear in mind too that approving comments is a bit hit and miss on the phone so there might be some delay in your masterful and insightful contributions to arrive, sparkling and pristine, on the page.

Laters!

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