The checkup

Sunscreen: Still in the Dark

For decades, sunscreens' SPF ratings have given us a sense of how well the products are likely to ward off sunburn-causing UVB damage. But there's no parallel system to provide info about protection against UVA rays, which can do long-term damage to the skin.

Last summer the Food and Drug Administration proposed rules that would, among other things, require that labels carry information about a product's efficacy against UVA radiation. The agency then invited manufacturers and other interested parties to have their say about the proposal. A year later, it seems we're not much closer to getting better labels.

-- Jennifer Huget

jkoch wrote:

The 19th century was way ahead in protection against ultraviolet rays. Long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, parasols, shady porches and verandas. Bedouins also have the good sense to cover themselves almost entirely, leaving only a narrow slit for the eyes. To lie near-naked in the sun has always been loony. To think that some greasy salve will save [you] from the ravages of radiation is hooey.

BxNY wrote:

I'm fair-skinned but honestly I don't bother. Sunscreen is good only for clogging pores and causing acne, as far as I can tell. I don't go to the beach, and my office is a windowless cubicle hell. I'm outside for maybe 30 minutes a day, in 10-minute increments, to walk to work, get lunch, and walk home from work. I'm probably more at risk for Vitamin D deficiency than I am for sun-induced skin cancer.

Don't Text While Blading

The American College of Emergency Physicians has issued a warning about the dangers of text-messaging while engaged in other activities, from driving or crossing the street to in-line skating or cooking. While nobody's yet gathered stats on the matter, ACEP says there's mounting anecdotal evidence that texting's a big distraction that can lead to injury -- and, yes, even death.

-- Jennifer Huget

Lynne wrote:

I haven't seen anyone texting while walking, but here's an example of dangerous phoning while walking. I was driving through the Univ. of Md. campus on a rainy night when a pedestrian crossed in front of me. Yes, she was in a crosswalk, but she was facing away from me bkz she was cradling a cellphone between her ear and shoulder, and she didn't look before crossing. Perhaps she was banking on the UMD practice (and, yes, state law) that all drivers stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, and I did stop, but if there's a concept of defensive driving, doesn't it follow that pedestrians should practice defensive walking?

Runner's High? Yeah, Right.

Marleen De Moor of the VU University in Amsterdam realized that none of the studies linking exercise to lower levels of anxiety and depression had really proved a cause-and-effect relationship. All they showed was an association -- that people who tended to be more physically active also tended to report less anxiety and depression.

So, in the first study of its kind, De Moor and her colleagues analyzed data collected on nearly 6,000 twins ages 18 to 50, as well as on some of their siblings and parents, between 1991 and 2002. To their surprise, the researchers found that the effects of exercise on mood seem to be built into each of us: Those who benefited from exercise appear to have genes that predispose them to the psychological benefits of physical activity. No one knows what those genes are. But De Moor, who reported her findings in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, speculates that they might have something to do with regulating the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine.

-- Rob Stein

Amit wrote:

I definitely find that a regular regimen of running (in my case, 6 miles, 3 times a week) regulates my entire system: my ability to handle stress, my appetite, and my sleep, among other things. However, I've always wondered what a runner's high is, as I don't believe I've ever experienced it; I imagine it to be a feeling of euphoria or a buzz, and the most I can ever attest to is a feeling of accomplishment after the run.