Having already criticised Sarah Palin for having babies and running for office, her opponents have moved on to more substantial matters of policy: the tanning bed that she installed, at her own expense, into the Governor’s mansion in Alaska.

In an attempt to make Gov. Palin look superficial and shallow, her detractors fail to note that she lives in Alaska and not, say, Beverly Hills.  Residents of Fairbanks, Alaska, are seven times as likely as people in Sarasota, Florida, to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The highest-risk group are women under the age of 40.  Sound vaguely like Sarah Palin, just with a grand two or three years added on?

While there are specially-designed lights that can be used to treat SAD, many people have found relief in tanning beds.    (Note as well that the light therapy devices may trigger bipolar disorder.)

As Vitamin D is not found in many foods, most Americans get their required dose through sunlight.  People who live north of 42 degrees Latitude (approximately the Boston area) do not get sunlight of a sufficient intensity to allow for Vitamin D production for four months of the year; for people at higher latitudes (like, oh, Alaskans), that time frame is six months.  The NIH mentions tanning beds as one way to ensure an adequate supply of Vitamin D.

Caribou Barbie or sensible at-home remedy to help deal with long Alaskan winters?  You won’t hear about the latter from the smear machine.