Of course, the study’s “revelation” probably comes as no surprise to anyone (including the researchers, themselves) that junk food can cause an addiction, similar to alcohol or substance abuse. Any parent who’s had deal with the “withdrawal” hysterics of a child whose “fix” at McDonald’s was replaced by a nutritious home-cooked meal knows far too well the insidious pull that soda, shakes, and french fries can have on a developing physical body and emotional psyche. And, as mentioned above, over-weight adults attempting to change their unhealthy habits frequently find themselves going “in” more than staying “out,” of an In-N-Out Burger.

But, would you be surprised to learn that a new study shows that frequenting tanning beds can also be “addictive”? Yep, that’s right! Tanning bed tanners beware…an intervention may be coming your way! Though the junk food study found that eating junk food can actually change the chemistry in your brain, the tanning booth researchers suggested that many people “crave” a nice tan and, therefore, this “constant craving,” especially in winter months (in wintry climates), is like a form of addiction that sends people over the edge and into risky behavior of tanning bed tanning that has been shown to considerably raise a person’s risk of developing skin cancer.

Are we to start making excuses for artificially-tanned people by calling their behavior an “addiction”? Or, could it be that the word “addiction” needs to be used in its proper context? The researchers stated that “in addition to a desire for appearance enhancement, motivations for tanning include relaxation, improved mood and socialization.” Could it be, then, that cosmetics are addictive? I know many women who are absolutely agoraphobic without their mascara and lipstick. Could sports be addictive? No one can doubt the “high” that an athlete feels when he or she “scores.” And, could it be that love, itself, is addictive. And, of course, that reasoning would take pages to explore.

The dictionary definition of addiction is “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” I seriously doubt that those who engage in bed tanning would experience “severe trauma” if an invention were to take place. Let’s not make anymore excuses for ourselves when we “choose” ego enhancers. Instead, may I suggest that we help ourselves by seeing ourselves as simply egotists who are psychologically superior to our exterior.

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