Study: tanning bed addiction or just vain?

It has long been known that you can be addicted to tanning beds. New research shows a link between a tanning addiction and other addictions.

Tanorexia

And then it all became clear. A spontaneous insight into an entire MTV reality TV generation. According to researchers from Yale, people addicted to tanning are six times more likely to have an alcohol addiction and five times more likely to have an addiction to exercise. The researchers published their findings in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. For their study, they conducted a survey among 499 people who currently or in the past used a tanning bed. They observed remarkable results. Apart from having a higher likelihood of alcohol and exercise addiction, people addicted to tanning also were three times more likely to suffer from seasonal affective disorder (winter depression). Why people become addicted to tanning is not entirely clear. An increase in both melanin and endorphins (and habituation to them) are considered possible causes.

Tanning and Training

Returning to that addiction to exercise. The researchers consider two causes:

The tan-junkies are generally more susceptible to addictions, including addiction to exercise. The tan-junkies care more about their appearance and are therefore more likely to be addicted to exercise.

So: are you a tanorexic, muscle dysmorphic, alcoholic? Visit an average festival and you'll feel right at home.

References

B. Cartmel, A.E. Bale, S.T. Mayne, J.E. Gelernter, A.T. DeWan, P. Spain, D.J. Leffell, S. Pagoto, L.M. Ferrucci. Predictors of tanning dependence in white non-Hispanic females and males. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2017; DOI: 10.1111/jdv.14138