A survey of 600 people in the UK conducted by the Sunlight Campaign from the National Osteoporosis Society found that 62% of people knew that vitamin D is important for bone health but that only 37% of respondents suggested that going outside into the sunshine without suntan lotion was the best way to get the vitamin.
The Sunlight Campaign emphasises that although 
it is important for people to protect themselves against harmful rays through applying suntan lotion, everyone should go outside for a few minutes each day without sunscreen in order to obtain maximum levels of vitamin D.
Siobhan Hallmark of the National Osteoporosis Society spoke about the campaign:
We have run the Sunlight Campaign for the past five years to improve awareness of vitamin D and bone health and we’re pleased that our latest survey shows that the public understanding is definitely improving… but there is still a lot of confusion and a lot of people still think that you should wear sunscreen. It is worrying that this uncertainty could mean that a lot of people are not getting the vitamin D they need, and could be putting themselves at risk of weaker bones.
Only a small amount of vitamin D comes from food sources so it is important for people to obtain vitamin D levels through sunlight. This week, before the sun leaves us, see if you can spend just a few minutes outside without applying the lotion to top up your vitamin D levels and ensure healthy bones.
