Ask doctor Nursemama Friday focuses on 52 habits for healthy families
Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show prescribing Hope for healthy families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hey there, friends, and welcome to Fry Yay. Yes, it's Fry Yay. It's Friday. We have made it through another week. I don't know about you, it's been a long week for me, traveling to the studio and back. But so, so good to see our friends at American Family Radio and so good to always see you all on the air every day. And we are at another Friday. We are at Ask doctor Nursemama Friday where I answer questions that I'm getting from listeners, from my patients, from communities and my own family. All questions related to 52 habits for healthy families. Now that is your weekly dose of encouragement and wisdom and real life strategies to, to help you build stronger, safer homes and families. And I'm so glad that you are here. If you've been following along since the beginning, you know, every Friday we talk about a habit for healthy families. These are just essential building blocks we started. Those of you who listen every day, you know this by now. I hope you're adopting all of these habits. We talked about basic spiritual disciplines, prayer, memorizing scripture, going to church, playing worship music. And then we talked about just some daily rhythms that should be in your family. Practicing gratitude, having a daily devotional, having a morning and evening routine, getting good sleep, hygiene, having dinner together as a family, checking in with your family at least weekly. Then we talked about some communication skills. These are tough, step on your toes kind of topics. We talked about the importance of listening with your face, speaking words of affirmation over your family, apologizing sincerely, writing letters, modeling your faith, giving generously, playing together, gathering together with family. And then we started 10 weeks of tech. We talked about the ways that technology impacts our families. And I gave you 52. I will have the 52 habits. I gave you 10 of those. 10 of 52 we spent talking about technology. We talked about the importance of reading out loud, watching faith based films, films with your family. And by the way, last night my producer Stephanie and I were able to go to a special preview of a movie that's coming out in October from one of our guests who was on in March. It's called Soul on Fire by John o'. Leary. The story of a boy who was severely burned on 100% of his body when he was about 8 years old. And he survived. And not only that, he thrived. And it is an incredible story of overcoming odds, of fantastic faith, of resilience, of hope, and of baseball. So if you're a sports enthusiast, especially if you like the St. Louis Cardinals, this is definitely going to be something you want to put on your calendar in October. And if you want information, you can contact us and we'll tell you how you can arrange for a group to see that early if you, if you're interested in that. But that's something that's coming out. And that was fun that we did last night. I laughed and I cried for sure. We talked also in tech habits, about being in pictures, about unplugging, plugging when you're on vacation, having tech free zones, tech free times, tech tracking, having transparency in your tech use, tidying up your tech. And last week we shifted and transitioned to start to talk about topics of safety. And we talked about staying safe for while you're using technology for your family. Now, I could talk about that for every day, all day, all year, and I still wouldn't tell you everything that you needed to know. But if you're thinking, hey, I've missed out one of those subjects, one of those habits sounds intriguing to me. Go back and listen to any corresponding Friday show or if you want the one minute version, Dr. Nursemama coaching minutes. Afr.net afrs app. You can do any podcast app and you can find those.
This week we're talking about sun safety. Last week I talked about tech safety
So we are going to transition to be talking about safety. Now, this might sound boring, but for me, as a pediatric nurse practitioner and someone who's worked in pediatrics for almost 30 years, this is really important to me. Safety is so important. So we're going to be walking through some holistic ways to keep your family safe. And I'm going to answer some questions about some safety threats that are coming toward all families of all ages and stages. Last week I talked about tech safety, but this week we're talking about sun safety. And the sun gives life, it gives energy and it's fun. But there are some things that can come along, danger with the sun, that are heat related, exposure related. And so today we're talking all things sun safety. Now we're starting to wrap up the end of summer, but I live in the south and we won't be done with summer until probably about six weeks after I put up my Christmas tree. And that's the middle of November. And, so wherever you are, these are things to be concerned about.
High school football player Joshua Henderson died from complications due to heat stroke
Now, I want to start today with a heartbreaking story. I know we've covered a lot of tough things this Week. And I appreciate you hanging in there with me. There are so many things that are tragic in the world, but we can find hope. I, I did read a news story this week about a 16 year old named Joshua Henderson, who was a high school football player in Tennessee. And he tragically recently died from complications due to a heat stroke. Now, according to his family, he collapsed during football practice on July 6, and his mom got a call not too long after she dropped him off that he was unresponsive. And heartbreakingly, despite intensive treatment in the hospital, he, he did not survive. Now, Joshua was described as an exceptional athlete and a dedicated student, a young man with his whole future ahead of him. And his story really is a devastating reminder for us that heat stroke isn't something that only happens in extreme desert conditions. It can happen in your neighborhood, at your school, or, even in your own driveway. And every time I see a story of tragic life loss at an early age, it's, it's just especially painful to lose someone who had so much life ahead of them and to lose all of those possibilities and all of that life lived together. The family always says the same thing. They always say, I want his life to matter. I want their life to matter. I want to help other families. And so I want to honor his family today by equipping other families in honor of Joshua, how we can keep our kids safe. And I want you to hang in there with me because I'm going to get a little nursey on you. But at the same time, this is really important. I'm going to give you some perspective on why this has changed so much in new generations.
About 600 people die from heat related illnesses in the United States each year
So let's start with some basics on heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Now, heat exhaustion is when you're outside, you're hot, you have a headache, you have, you're sweaty, you're tired, you're dizzy. That is telling you you are near heat exhaustion, which is a very serious thing. But heat stroke is when that heat exhaustion becomes a medical emergency, your body temperature really high, they may actually stop sweating, become confused, pass out. You're talking about electrolyte imbalance. And I have a cousin who very nearly died from this, miraculously survived. It is a scary, scary thing for sure. And some of those high risk situations where families are going to be outdoor sports that are starting back out at this time, especially football, track, cheerleading, any band practice, anything that's outside during these summer months or ROTC training, if you have playground that are unshaded, even short walks in the direct sun without hydration. If you're for an extended period of time at a water park, at a zoo, anytime, if you're gardening anytime, you're out in the sun for more than 15 or 20 minutes and the temperatures are high, it really can be a dangerous situation. And we know that about 600 people die from heat related illnesses in the United States each year. But here's the thing. Children and teenagers dehydrated faster than adults do and they often don't recognize the signs. As adults, we know when we're getting hot, when we're getting tired. Teens are often having so much fun, our kids are having so much fun. They're more likely just to try to push through and they're more resilient and they kind of, you know, last a little bit longer before they have severe symptoms and a really rapid drop off, whereas adults tend to go down a little more gradually. Now, why do we, why has this been different? Because this is what I hear from listeners and from people all the time. Time when we talk about hydration, okay, I did not grow up with a Stanley tumbler. I drank out of the hose. I was just fine. And there is some truth to that. So I'm going to take a deep dive and answer some questions about that. But over the last few years, some high profile water crises, like the Flint, Michigan crisis, it's eroded trust in public tap water, especially in certain areas where things like that have happened. Breaches of integrity have happened in the water supply. So families become more cautious and we are more aw of lead pipes or forever chemicals that are in outdated plumbing, that is in schools or cities that are in our homes. And even if the actual risk is low, the perception of that danger is very high. And perception is what shapes behavior sometimes more than facts. And so parents, you know, may tell their kids, hey, don't drink from the water faucet at school. We don't know if it's safe. And that may be true, but kids pass that message along even if their water is safe. It's just kind of becoming less favorable, favorable to drink from those public sources of water. Now alongside of that, we have marketers who are always looking for ways to make money. That's economy. So we have bottled water, high end water water bottles. I mean, when you go in to buy a bottle of water, you can get alkaline water and all kinds of, you can get flavored water, you can get vitamin water, you can get any kind of water your heart can possibly imagine. This is marketing. This water's cleaner. This water's cooler, this water's premium and this water's healthier. And kids now associate reusable bottles with status or hygiene or personalization while definitely those water fountains and the garden hoses feel outdated or dirty. And we see the rise of the Stanley tumbler and other sorts of hydration bottles which can be a social status symbol. So we've always this pendulum swinging between two extremes and social pressure and Instagram culture. If I wouldn't post a picture drinking from it, I'm not drinking from it. And so there's something to be said now even with the tumblers, you can accessorize them, you can personalize them, you can put charms on them and all of this contributes. This is not just water bottle, water bottle culture. That is anything where we're looking at personalized things for kids now we also put in there germs and a pandemic, pandemic era hygiene where the COVID 19 pandemic amplified fears about shared surfaces. And it's always a good idea to not drink, eat or drink after each other, especially in a school based setting where you can share germs. But that has been amplified for sure. And then we've got peer pressure and social messaging and kids are extremely tuned into what's normal in their peer group. And if no one else is drinking from the fountain, I'm not going to be drinking from the fountain. And we see these social incentives for byoh B Bring your own hydration. That is how kids come to school. And that is we, and so there's, we need to reframe the narrative a little bit. If your water is safe to drink, then we can tell kids when and how what water is safe to drink. And, and they, and we know that most city water is highly regulated and safe to drink. So you can look at that. And if it's a choice between hydration and drinking the city water that you know to be safe, then there and again I can't dive into all of the questions on this. I know some of you already are thinking no, it needs to be filtered and have a water softening system and all of that. We're just talking the basics here but there are things that we can do to make sure that kids stay hydrated. Bottom line is we've got to find a balance. And kids may not still be drinking from the water fountain or the garden hose or kids may be over invested in too many tumblers. But the bottom line is it's important to be hydrated when it's hot. So We've got to teach our kids how to make smart, safe and unfiltered decisions. And the other contributors to hydration culture changing over time is that the balance of this is that our science has gotten better. In the past, dehydration was often under recognized, especially in kids. But now we know that fluid balance affects how our brains work, how our emotions feel, our mood, our temperature regulation, and we perform in sports, especially in hot water, hot weather. And research has shown that children are more susceptible to dehydration because their bodies just aren't cooling as efficiently and they don't recognize their thirst cues until it's too late. So we used to say drink as soon as you get thirsty, but really the current guidance should be drink before you get thirsty. If you are already feeling thirsty, that means you're already starting to show dehydration because thirst is a sign of dehydration. So we've got to pre hydrate. The other, thing is that youth sports are really more intense than they were when we were growing up. They're much more structured. Kids today are training year round and they're in sports camp. They're practicing multiple hours per day, August or not. And past generations, we have more unstructured, lower intensity outdoor play. And it just kind of allowed for more natural breaks in activity. But today, sports culture demands more intentional hydration strategies. When we come back, I'll be talking about when you should hydrate, how much you should hydrate, what you should hydrate. With all questions about sun safety coming up.
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>> I Know A Name by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown,and Elevation Worship: It's the only name that sa and it's worthy of all praise. I call you Jesus I call you I call you he raining in bl Something comes Out of the grave every time I call you Jesus I call you I call you savior worthy of glory forever. Something comes out of the grave Every time I call your name.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back friends. That is I know a name by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Elevation Worship. And I do know a name that I can call on in times of trouble, in times of joy. And I hope that you, you are thinking the same thing and you're here on Friday. We are answering questions. God is the ultimate source of wisdom and I'm here to give you what wisdom I have learned about sun safety. We're talking about 52 habits for healthy families. And today we are moving into our second week of talking about safety. Last week was tech safety, today is sun safety. And I'm g these tips in honor of 16 year old Joshua Henderson, a high school football player from Tennessee who recently died from heat stroke. And we're so sorry to hear about that. And our prayers certainly go out to his family. And before the break I was talking about how the culture has changed and why we're so focused on hydration. And I'll share with you during the break that my team I guess got a little worried when I said byoh, I said age bring your own hydration. That is this culture. If you were thinking anything else, I can' help you there. We're talking about bring your own hydration. Everyone goes everywhere with their own personal hydration and hydration is good. But at the same time things have changed because as I was saying, youth sports are more intense. We also have, as I said, the rise of wellness culture and marketing. Water bottles have become status symbols. We've also have a hyper awareness among young people about how how hydration even makes your skin look, how it makes your makeup applied, how it's strategy. And hydration is now viewed as a pillar of wellness, not just something to do in the heat. We've got and if you don't believe that, just look at the consumer culture. You've got bottles with time marks on it saying to make sure that you're staying on track or stickers or motivational quotes or planners or apps that help you track your hydration. And the good thing is that educational messaging has improved because schools and coaches and even healthcare providers are more proactive about hydration. And many schools allow or encourage water bottles at their desk. This certainly wasn't the case in my generation growing up and we see, we talk about the things like electrolyte balance and hydration needs. Now my husband is old school and so he and I Have conversations. And it's great because we balance each other. And there was one time I was at a conference in Denver and he had all four kids at the Denver Zoo and they were thirsty, but he was not about to pay $8 for a water bottle, for four water bottles. No, the kids were saying that they were really thirsty and that mom would want them to be hydrated. And he said, no one's ever died from dehydration. They said, yes, actually people literally die from the dehydration. He said, well, not while they're out with their dad at the Denver Zoo. So. But you, I'm telling you, these things can cause, some family discussions, can they not? And the P takeaway though is that high hydration culture hasn't changed just because kids are more sensitive. Some. In some ways we've become more informed. We have more extreme schedules and more demanding sports. And we're more committed to prevention. We know more about how hydration works. And what once seemed extra really is now essential. So as I said, it used to be drink as soon as you get thirsty. Now, pre hydration matters. This is something that really can be a life or death situation. Hydration's not just a game time decision. It is a pre game strategy. Because by the time a kid feels thirsty or an adult, they may already be slightly dehydrated. Especially true for younger kids and teens who ignore early signs like their mouth getting dry or a headache. Pre hydration means making sure that your body is starting off with a healthy fluid balance before you start any physical activity. Heat exposure, sweating. Because sweating is our body, the way our bodies are made to regulate our body temperature. But we've got to replace that fluid loss before it happens and during it happens and after it happens happens. And in heat, even light activity, we see little kids who are just sweating. You probably saw it on the 4th of July. They can actually lose 1 to 2 liters of fluid per hour through sweat. And for all the of, the parents out there doing the laundry, they say, yes, that is absolutely true. So if you know you're going to be outside for an event where it's going to be hot, start drinking water at least 24 hours before that and encourage steady water intake throughout the day. And make sure that you're drinking, drink with electrolytes.
Some caffeinated energy drinks are not recommended for teens, even though
And I'll talk about that now. Before I do, I want to talk specifically about some caffeinated energy drinks, especially for teen athletes. Now these are not recommended for teenagers, even though I know a lot of teens consume them. But Caffeine is a diuretic so it's going to contribute to fluid loss. It's going to make you lose fluid faster. So if teens are trying to ah, caffeinate with energy drinks, which a lot of the ways that they're marketed make it seem like they're great for hydration, but they are, are not. The other thing is that many energy drinks also have very high levels of sugar that slows water absorption and it can make your stomach upset when you're out in the heat as well. But risks of energy drink, they're going to dehydrate you faster. They increase your heart rate and your blood pressure which can dehydrate you faster. It disrupts your sleep, which affects recovery and it has potential for heat related illnesses to escalate faster, especially in teens. And now some hydration drinks are really energy drinks. But you gotta be really careful because the marketing is super confusing. And I'll give you an example of this. So my son went with my sister to a concert and she bought him this can and passed him down this can. And he said in his mind he looked at it and thought oh my goodness, did my aunt just buy me alcohol? Which she didn't. It was a drink called Liquid Death with which is just water, it's just plain water. But the way that it's marketed looked confusing. And so drinks that look like that are just water but look like something else can be that way or drinks that look like they're just a hydration drink can really be an energy drink or have lots of sugar and caffeine. So make sure that you are reading the label and that you know exactly what you're drinking because again that, that marketing can be really confusing. So let me give you some hydration do's and don'ts for your family for hydration dues. Start early, start drinking water before the day before you go outside. So this is fine to do, just drink some water, maybe 8 to 16 ounces of water in the morning you're going to drink a little and that day of drink some water before you start the activity and then rehydrate with small frequent amounts about every 20 minutes during activity, about a half to one cup. Now again, all of this you should talk with your pediatric healthcare provider, especially for your student at athletes to get individualized recommendations for them. This is just a general guidance and, and, but you should always consult with your own medical provider to make sure you're getting individualized recommendations. But plain water is the best first choice for most kids. And then use those electrolyte drinks wisely. Low sugar options are really helpful. Or things that are like Pedialyte. Sport only if you have prolonged outdoor exertion. If you're going to be outside for more than 60 minutes, you have high heat, heavy sweating, you're doing heavy exertion, you're doing, you know, formal sports, engagement. Those can be really, really helpful. And then know the signs of dehydration. By the time you are showing signs of dehydration, you really need to stop and take a rest. It's not just have a, to drink something to rehydrate, but take a rest and really have someone assess you and make sure that you're okay. You, those can be dry lips or a dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps. And and train kids and te. Listen to their bodies and not to push through. That is something from culture is just kind of suck it up and just go with it. But as we saw with the tragic circumstance of the news story that I opened with, that can be a very dangerous strategy. So really train kids and teens and coaches to listen to their bodies. And if you're feeling those symptoms of heat exhaustion, you really need to stop and take some time to recover. And if you're having those symptoms, having being checked out by the athletic trainer or whatever medical support is provided by the team is really, really important. Or if you're not part of a team or a formal sports, activity, call your healthcare provider. That can be really helpful. Hydration don'ts. Don't wait until they say they're thirsty. Remember that thirst is a late indicator, so just taking small amounts at regular intervals is really good. Try not to allow any sugary sodas or juices, especially during outdoor play because they just don't hydrate very well and they can cause blood sugar crashes. No energy drinks for kids. They're not safe hydration sources. And make sure that you're reading the label on anything that you are that you're drinking. And don't overlook hydration. On cooler days, kids can still get dehydrated even if the temperature doesn't seem that hot. So energy drinks again may look cool, but in the heat just a recipe for disaster. So it's really important just pre hydrate. Drink small amounts during activity, during outdoor exposure. And if you have any signs of dehydration or exposure, stop early and listen to that. That's really important. Not only are kids exposed to heat in sports activities or outdoor intensive Activities during the heat. But hot cars can be deadly. We all have our hearts just sink when we see a story about a child being left in a car. And that just sends chills down every parent's spine. We don't want to see that, that, but a car can heat up very, very quickly, even on a very mild day. That's 70 to 75 degrees. The interior of that car can rise to 100 degrees in just 20 minutes. On a 90 degree day. You're talking about the inside of that car reaching over 120 degrees in just 10 minutes. Anybody who sat on the car knows how fast it can heat up. And cracking the windows really does almost nothing to reduce that heat. But here's the thing. Kids bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults. That's why they're so much at risk. And young kids can't regulate their temperature effectively or get themselves out of the car. Sometimes they're in a car seat and brain and organ damage can occur within minutes of extreme heat exposure. that's heat stroke. That's hyperthermia. That occurs when your body temperature can no longer cool itself. And we know that there's an average of almost 40 kids every year who die in the United States from heat stroke after being left in a car. Over half of these kids were forgotten accidentally by a parent or a caregiver. And around a quarter of those gained access to an unlocked vehicle and then became trapped. So that's important too. Not just leaving, them in the car, making sure they can't go get in the car. And I remember this from my own childhood with one of my brothers have being involved in both of these incidents. Once being left accidentally in the car during church and someone walking by and seeing him. And, and that was a really scary experience. And another getting access to the car and starting it and actually driving it across the street into my neighbor's yard. Thankfully, everyone was okay. But I've seen this personally and professionally. I know this can happen. But what we do know is that nearly all of these events are preventable. Now why does it happen? Well, sometimes a change in routine. Apparently parent who's not usually dropping off the child forgets. Or you're distracted by a phone call, you're stressed, you have a lack of sleep, you've changed your schedule. And then out of sight, out of mind.
Whenever you see a child unattended in a car, call 911 immediately
Sometimes if a child is quiet or just sleeping in the back seat, you're just distracted and you forget or you think, oh, I'll just be a minute and you don't Realize how fast heat rises. So really think, take a minute to think about what safety precautions you have in place to make sure that that doesn't happen and make sure that a kid is not left. And if you're ever a bystander and you see a child alone in a hot car, really assess the situation immediately. Is that child responsive? Are they sweating? Are they crying? Are they unconscious? Look at the time of day. But really, anytime you see a child unattended in a car by themselves, especially in a car seat, call 911 immediately. Give the dispatcher where you are, what the vehicle looks like and the condition of the child, and if the child appears to be in distress, act. There are some states that have laws who protect bystanders, bystanders who break into a car to rescue a child in danger. So check your state's Good Samaritan laws. But in most places you are legally allowed to break a window to save a child. If you've called 911 if you believe the child is in imminent danger. And if you stay at the scene until help arrives, do your best to locate the driver. You can ask nearby businesses to make an announcement or knock on windows or try doors doors. And many people accidentally leave their car doors unlocked or alert the store security if you're in a commercial parking lot. But for you, for parents and caregivers, create some reminders. Put your phone or your wallet or in the back or your shoe even in the back seat so when you get out, you only have one shoe. And I even cringe a little to be honest to say, put your phone back there because we don't forget our phone and we can forget our kids. That is just a heavy conviction for all of us as a society or just do. There's some apps or car seat devices that send alerts to make sure that you know that. Tell the daycare or the school to call if your child doesn't arrive on time. And lock your car when it's not in use, even if it's in your garage or in your driveway. Teach kids that cars are not play areas. Make sure they can't reach the keys because as I said, a quarter of those hot car deaths happen when a child climbs into an unlocked vehicle and can't get out. So look before you lock should be every part of every family safety routine for car. Even on a cloudy day, don't risk it. Take a look and make sure you're looking to see if the kids are in there when we come back. I am m going to Talk about summer talk. And I know some of you are thinking, what is. Is that. What did she just say? I said summer talk. Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. And I'm going to talk about trends of teen chasing the sun through some things like summer talk. We'll talk about the UV index and how popular that's become. We'll talk about tanning beds and sunscreen. When we come back. Dr. Carl Trueman from the American Family Studios documentary the God who Speaks.
>> Dr. Carl Trueman: Typically, what Sola scriptura what scripture alone means for the reformers is this. We accept the church tradition as an authoritative statement of Christian faith and practice. As long as it lines up with scripture. That's not the equivalent of the it's just me and my Bible attitude that we often find in evangelicalism today. It's. We belong to a historic tradition, but we always need to check what the church is teaching in light of scripture. So scripture alone doesn't mean the only book I read is the Bible. Scripture alone means that the Bible is the ultimate principle by which everything the church ever says or does is to be checked.
>> Jeff Chamblee: Visit thegodwhospeaks.org.
>> No Fear by Jon Reddick: I'm going down this time. You might think that I'd be afraid? Running scared with a shaken faith But the God I know says it ain't over? The God I know is going to make a way. Yeah, though I walk through the valley I will have, no fear. No fear. The mighty power of Jesus is fighting for me here. No fear, no fear. The light of the world makes the darkness disappear. No fear.
>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is no Fear by Jon Reddick. And that's what we're talking about today. I'm, answering your questions about the sun. And a lot of parents are afraid of the sun, but you know who's not afraid of the sun? Today's teenagers. So they are chasing the sun. And I'm talking today, answering questions in 52 Habits for Healthy families. We're in a safety series, and I'm talking today about how do we keep our families safe in the sun? And there's so many, many things that are changing. We, we're. It's a refreshing change of pace, a little bit from technology, but the sun is real. And did you know that just one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence more than doubles the risk of developing melanoma later in life? So, I know if all of you are thinking about the way that you grew up and all the blistering sunburns and you're starting to get a little worried. Well, that is a reality of sun exposure because melanoma is the second most common canc in teens and young adults. But it is preventable.
More and more teens are using their smartphone to check UV index for outdoor exposure
So let's talk a little bit about this trend about teens chasing the sun on purpose. And what I am seeing now. More and more teens are using their smartphone to check the UV index to time their outdoor exposure. Not to minimize their exposure, but to m maximize their exposure. And I'll talk a little bit more about this and a detail in this, but we also see teens, teens who are skipping sunscreen on those high UV days to build a base tan. And they're tanning intentionally to look healthier for photos or vacations or social media aesthetics or using tanning beds, especially before proms, before spring breaks, before school photos. And we're going to talk about this summer talk trend now. What's driving it? Well, that is social pressure and image culture. We look at that sunkissed glow is still seen as attractive, as healthy and it is desirable. We see Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, they have like, they have filters that you can do. And when you post this healthy sun kissed look, you're going to get rewarded with a hip, a hit of dopamine to say, yeah, you look great. And some teens believe that tanning hides acne or that it improves their mood even. But we see UV index apps actually being misused. So UV index apps were, you were created to help you know when the UV index is high and to avoid the sun. And teens are using them for the opposite, the opposite purpose. Now some of you may be saying, what is the UV index? Well, the ultraviolet UV index is a number that tells you how strong the sun's UV rays are at a particular time and place. And I've seen teens say, you know, like, oh, UV is this number, like let's go. And it helps you to, but it really helps you to know how quickly you could get a sunburn if you're outside. So think of it like a sunburn speedometer kind of so low.00 to 2. That's safe for most people. Minimal protection is needed. If the UV index is 3 to 5, that means use sunscreen, wear a hat, wear sunglasses. If you're going to be outside for more than 15 minutes or so, high is 6 to 7. You can burn in as little as 20 minutes. You're going to make sure you stay in the shade, wear protective clothing, reapply sunscreen and very high is 8 to 10. That's extra protection. Needed. Limit your time in the sun between 10am and 4pm when your shadow is short and extreme is a less 11 plus, take all of the sun safety precautions because your skin can burn in just a few minutes. I've seen this happen before when we were on a beach vacation with my family. I'm, very conscientious. But my son in the sand with the reflection of the sun off of the sand and the water and the UV index being high. This was before I really knew anything about that. And we had apps to track it. He burned really severely in just such a short period of time. I still have some mom guilt about it because he was so miserable. But most weather apps or websites showed the UV index for the day. You can look at it in the morning before you go outside. And that is important for teens, for athletes, for people who are working outside and. But even on cloudy days or when it's cool outside, the UV rays can still be high and they can still cause skin damage. So don't let the weather fool you. If that UV index is high, your skin can be at risk. So now we see, as I say, a, UV index. Apps used to intentionally seek out those peak exposure times that would be midday when the UV radiation is at its highest between 10 and 4. Now we also see this base tan, people wanting a base tan. And many believe that a base tan prevents sunburn, but that's actually not true. A tan offers the equivalent of basically SPF3, which is not anything and it causes DNA damage to your skin cells.
Tanning beds are linked to an increased risk of melanoma
Another trend that I see among teens, teens is tanning beds. And there is a risk of melanoma. So let me give you some facts about teens and tanning bed use. About 7 to 9% of U.S. teens ages 14 to 17 report using tanning beds at least once a year. Now girls are more likely to use tanning beds than boys, about 10% of girls, about 3% of boys. But we see this increasing again in this marketing culture. We see companies who are marketing, marketing beauty products to girls who now they see there's this whole untapped market with boys. Like if girls are using moisturizer, why can't boys use moisturizer? And we see that just untapped market and that's what drives a lot of influencers. And the, the highest rate of tanning beds are seen in teens age 16 to 18. Now teen tanning bed is linked to an increased risk of melanoma, which as I shared with you, is a common and deadly, particularly deadly form skin cancer. Especially if you're using a tanning bed before age 35. Now we're starting to see this trend decrease a little bit. But at the same time, anytime with kids, it's all about a pendulum because we see tanning beds decreasing, but we see a flocking to the high UV rays increasing. So it always seems to balance like that. And there are actually a lot of states in the United States that have age restrictions or bans on tanning bed use for minor. But you know, the enforcement and compliance vary. And so that's something to really, think about. And really the recommendation is that teenagers should not be using tanning beds because as I said at the top of this segment, a sunburn is skin damage that's caused by overexposure to those UV rays from the sun. And those UV rays penetrate through your skin and they harm the DNA in your skin cells. What does your body do? Well, it increases blood flow to that area. It's red, it's warm, it's swollen. That's sunburn that you see and feel. And we know that 90% of visible skin aging is due to sun damage, not just genetics. And you know, when we look at the generational shift and attitude towards sun safety, we can all know how we grew up when we see those baby boomers or Gen X. Tanning was beauty. It was a leisure activity. I mean, come on, how many of you sat out on the beach with baby oil, foil or foil reflectors or got into tanning beds? And millennials had some caution, but they still would tan, but they used spf, they would use sunscreen, but it was a little inconsistent. And now we see Gen Z. The sun equals image currency. Now what do I mean by that? Well, I mean that, that having that sun kissed glow gives you a higher, social affluence on social media. So we see UV tracking and we also see sun, sun dumps and tan line trends. So you're probably thinking, what in the world is a sun dump? Well, we'll talk about it because your mom or you maybe you tanned with baby oil. But today we're having other kinds of technology and, and really we're seeing this influencer culture contribute to images that we're posting online. So a sun dump is a trendy social media photo carousel. So especially on platforms like TikTok, like Instagram, teens are going to post sun soaked photos, photos from summer adventures like beach days, pool hangouts, lake trips, hikes, festivals, that kind of thing. And what we see is those posts, the Algorithm prioritizing posts that show deep tans or sunburns with comments like worth it or burn now, tan later that can even be hashtags or sweating is a sign of glowing. Or posts that use minimal or no sun protection because the algorithm is going to respond to demand. And photos that are most engaging engaged with as sun dumps are not going to show people putting on sunscreen or people in floppy hats. That's for old people or shade breaks. And it just kind of reinforces that sun drenched culture. And we also see even this in tan lines. Showing off tan lines as your status symbol. So maybe that's your straps from your shirt or we see cropped shirts or sock or sandal line, tans, farmer tans. And sometimes those are posted ironically or unironically or just to post the exaggeration to show your tan line. And again the concern is that teens are intentionally seeking that strong UV exposure. And much as a, young people do, they think oh this, this won't impact me at all. But maybe you know, will be. But you think about it from a marketing perspective it's really ingenious because they're creating now the, the companies are creating now the consumers for their products, anti aging products later. So this is all kind of housed under a broader trend called summer talk that is a play on TikTok summer talk tok. It's a broad kind of seasonal subculture on TikTok. And you'll see things like beach beauty tips or poolside skin care routines or sun care aesthetics or tan enhancing oils, DIY bronzing hacks that are often dangerous and really it can again, nothing is new under the sun sun. I know that was a really cringey pun there but it's true. Basically we feel pressured to look a certain way and, and we see spreads of misinformation like hey, clouds block the UV or natural oils are safer than sunscreen which you know there, there's all kinds of risk benefit there. And we need to help teens to make sure that they are always our body is a temple, and we need to take care of it. God has given us our body and we need to take care of, of it. So helping teens know that tans mean your skin is damaged. There's no such thing as a safe base tan or a safe tan. And burns equal long term risk. One blistering sunburn before age 20 doubles your risk of skin cancer and UV damages aging. Now kids, they don't think about that because their brains are not wired to think about that. But just encourage your teens to find sunscreens that feel good on their skin and maybe be that are influencer approved and still safe. And you can talk to your primary healthcare provider about what sunscreen is going to be best for you. So let's teach our kids UV awareness as a health skill. Making sure that hey, we want to avoid those UV rays and making sunscreen accessible, knowing that we're putting on sunscreen, that's just a normal part of our family culture. No tanning beds and models, those, those behaviors and educating our kids early. Talk about beauty standards that don't revolve around tanning and what we look like in the sun and normalizing sun protection as a strength and not a weakness. Those things are really important and we just can't forget our ourselves as adults.
So let me run through some basic sunscreen tips before we're finished here
So let me run through some basic sunscreen tips before we're finished here and our time is going out. For babies 0 to 7, 6 month. The best protection is avoiding any direct sun exposure. Use the shade. Get those cute little wide brin hats and put lightweight long sleeves and no sunscreen generally before six months. For toddlers and young kids, that's six months up to about six kids, six years old. You're going to put sunscreen on about 15 to 30 minutes before you go out and reapply it at least every two hours or sooner after you're swimming or sweating, you're going to use about one ounce. That's a shot glass or a metal medicine cup full to cover the entire body. Don't forget the ears, the tops of the feet, the back of the neck and the scalp. Those things can burn really easily. And mineral or physical sunscreens are a little gentler on sensitive skin. And that can be really helpful for older kids and preteens. Show them how much and how often to apply. Start letting them do it themselves so that they make it that habit. Use an SPF between 30 and 50. A broad spectrum water resistant is generally good. I prefer, prefer the lotions for sure. The sprays are just not kind to your neighbors. They don't cover very well and they're really if you've ever like been choking on somebody like spraying sunscreen all around you, it can be good for those little hard to reach spots. But for teens, talk about, you know, the, the long term benefits, really start talking about that and encourage them to use sunscreens. They will do that if as adults we lead by example. Example broad spectrum SPF 30 + for daily wear, that's really helpful.
What is your family sun safety routine? What do you
So I hope these have been helpful to you and keeping your family in the state and, safe in the sun. I know there can be a lot of challenges because we, we just want to get our kids outside. And getting outside is a great, great thing to do. We just need to be safe, safe about it and be safe in the sun. And we can do that. So think about what is your family sun safety routine? What do you. What is your culture like in your family? About protecting yourselves from the sun. And I know that today's show had some hard moments and this week has been a little tough, but it is necessary. It's not about fear. It's about wisdom and stewardship, loving our kids enough to protect them from what they can't yet see. So I pray wherever you are under the sun, that the Lord will bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you. We got a great show for you next week, A, lineup of shows. And we'll talk more next Friday about more safety. See you then.
>> Jeff Chamblee: The Views and opinions expressed in this broadcast broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
