Chinese woman, afraid of tanning, suffers fractures from rolling over in bed
A Chinese woman, who was so fearful of tanning that she had never worn short sleeves, ended up suffering a fracture simply by turning over in her sleep.
The incident has shocked many on Chinese social media.
The case emerged on May 14 when Long Shuang, an attending doctor in the emergency department at XinDu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, shared the unusual incident.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
The 48-year-old woman from Chengdu, in southwestern China's Sichuan province, whose name has not been disclosed, experienced a bone fracture from merely rolling over in bed, a consequence of her prolonged and excessive avoidance of sunlight.
According to Long, the woman had shunned sun exposure since childhood, rarely wore short sleeves outdoors, and always applied sunscreen.
While it remains unclear whether she or her family ever voiced concerns about her extreme sun-avoidance habits, the repercussions became serious after her injury.
Upon admission, medical tests revealed that her vitamin D level was critically low, which had accelerated bone resorption and led to severe osteoporosis.
Given that sunlight plays a vital role in enabling the body to synthesise vitamin D – which is essential for bone health and aids in calcium absorption – long-term avoidance of sunlight can result in a range of health issues, including weakened bones and diminished immunity.
As sun protection trends gain traction across China, with women extensively shielding themselves from the sun using wide-brimmed visors, sun-protection gloves, cooling face masks, and lightweight UV-resistant hoodies – layering to guard against harsh UV rays – experts are voicing concerns about the potential health risks associated with excessive sun avoidance.
Jiang Xiaobing, Chief Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, issued a warning in an online video.
'It is now common to see people fully covered from head to toe for sun protection – this is indeed unhealthy. All the bones in our body regenerate every 10 years, but from age 30, we begin to lose bone mass at a rate of 0.5 to 1 per cent per year. Low calcium intake, lack of sun exposure, and vitamin D deficiency all hinder calcium absorption. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and excessive drinking also compromise bone health.'
'We need to ensure adequate calcium intake, exercise regularly, and limit smoking and drinking. For instance, no more than two cans of beer per day if the alcohol content is five per cent. Menopausal women, in particular, should be exceptionally cautious,' he advised.
The news, reported by Haibao News, quickly went viral, sparking a wave of online reactions.
One person commented: 'This is unbelievable – she broke her bone just by turning over in bed?'
Another added: 'This is so extreme. Was she also crash dieting in addition to avoiding the sun? Seriously, everyone needs some sunlight every day.'
A third remarked: 'Sadly, this reflects how society has conditioned many Chinese women to prioritise fair skin over their health.'
More from South China Morning Post:
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
China's first foreign-owned hospital seeks medical tourists
Perennial General Hospital Tianjin. — Bloomberg Tianjin: A Singapore hospital operator wants more international patients to seek treatment at its new medical centre in China, as foreign healthcare providers eye medical tourism as a new growth area in the world's second-largest economy. Perennial Holdings Pte's US$139mil hospital opened earlier this year in the northern city of Tianjin, and is the first fully foreign-owned medical facility in the mainland. The hospital aims to derive 30% of its revenue during its first year of operation from patients visiting from Russia, the Middle East and South-East Asia – hoping China will become an emerging destination for medical tourism that can compete with established regional rivals Singapore, Thailand and Japan. Perennial's focus on luring overseas patients to Tianjin came after China last year moved to allow private hospitals to be fully owned by foreign entities, which had previously needed a Chinese business partner. China's health regulator has since encouraged the Tianjin facility to differentiate itself from the country's public hospitals, hospital president Daniel Liu said in an interview this week. 'Medical tourism has yet to become an industry in China, but it's showing promise. We hope to make the pie bigger,' he said. 'Some specialities in the Chinese healthcare system have grown in the past two decades, to a point that measures up to international standards.' Private healthcare providers have faced headwinds operating in China as the country's post-Covid economic slump weighed on their main clientele – expats and well-off domestic customers with commercial insurance coverage. Some private hospitals and clinics have closed shop in recent months, while others have had to lower their prices, according to local media. China can be appealing to medical tourists in part due to a speedier diagnosis and treatment process. — Bloomberg
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Penang Customs seizes vape devices, liquid worth RM5.17 million
BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Customs Department seized 86,086 electronic cigarette (vape) devices and 996.5 litres of vape liquid, worth RM5.17 million including taxes, in two separate raids conducted last April. State Customs director Rohaizad Ali said the raids, carried out at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) and Port Klang, also led to the arrest of three men, including a Chinese national. He said the first raid took place at 1.15 pm on April 3, when the Enforcement Division's Operations Unit inspected a container that had arrived at NBCT from China. 'The inspection uncovered 14,200 units of electronic cigarette devices and 210 bottles of vape liquid that were undeclared during import, alongside other merchandise. The total estimated value of the goods was RM1.33 million, with duties amounting to RM205,400. 'A local man acting as an agent and a Chinese national who claimed to be the exporter were arrested. This marks the first vape-related seizure in Penang this year that has led to arrests,' he said at a press conference held at the Bagan Jermal Enforcement Storage facility today. Rohaizad said the inspection found that the container had been declared as carrying plastic goods, but the vape devices and liquids were hidden among other items and not declared. In a separate raid at 11 am on April 10, authorities seized 71,886 electronic cigarette devices and 786.5 litres of vape liquid worth RM3.64 million, including tax, following the inspection of another container from China, this time at Port Klang. A local man in his 40s, who acted as an agent, was arrested in connection with the case. 'The container was declared to contain belts and wallets, but the inspection uncovered undeclared vape devices and liquids mixed with the declared items,' he said. Rohaizad added that further investigations are ongoing for both cases under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Penang Customs Seize RM5.17 million in Vape Devices, Liquids
BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Customs Department seized 86,086 electronic cigarette (vape) devices and 996.5 litres of vape liquid, worth RM5.17 million including taxes, in two separate raids conducted last April. State Customs director Rohaizad Ali said the raids, carried out at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) and Port Klang, also led to the arrest of three men, including a Chinese national. He said the first raid took place at 1.15 pm on April 3, when the Enforcement Division's Operations Unit inspected a container that had arrived at NBCT from China. 'The inspection uncovered 14,200 units of electronic cigarette devices and 210 bottles of vape liquid that were undeclared during import, alongside other merchandise. The total estimated value of the goods was RM1.33 million, with duties amounting to RM205,400. 'A local man acting as an agent and a Chinese national who claimed to be the exporter were arrested. This marks the first vape-related seizure in Penang this year that has led to arrests,' he said at a press conference held at the Bagan Jermal Enforcement Storage facility today. Rohaizad said the inspection found that the container had been declared as carrying plastic goods, but the vape devices and liquids were hidden among other items and not declared. In a separate raid at 11 am on April 10, authorities seized 71,886 electronic cigarette devices and 786.5 litres of vape liquid worth RM3.64 million, including tax, following the inspection of another container from China, this time at Port Klang. A local man in his 40s, who acted as an agent, was arrested in connection with the case. 'The container was declared to contain belts and wallets, but the inspection uncovered undeclared vape devices and liquids mixed with the declared items,' he said. Rohaizad added that further investigations are ongoing for both cases under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
