Aha, I always thought so!  And maybe the psychological boost we get from sunning our buns has a positive impact, too, sort of mind over matter. 

Sorry if I'm skeptical of advice from a medical doctor who seems to make his primary living selling products.  And a quick google search reveals plenty more about this guy.  And I don't know about this data you mention that backs up his claims, but ethnic groups originating in sunny/equatorial regions around the world (central american hispanics, native americans, indians, south asians, pacific islanders, africans, middle easterners) obviously have the genetics to tan much better than caucasians.  Duh!  But everyone's skin is different.
Sorry to be a naysayer... but I have been fighting non-malignant skin cancer for over a decade.  The sun can be dangerous... everyone should be very careful depending on their own skin characteristics.

The way that I understand it is that there are three types of skin cancer, Basal Cell, Squamous Cell and Melanoma. Basal Cell and Squamous cell carcinomas form in the layers of the epidermis and are easily treated and the cure rate is very high.These cancers normally demonstrate a slow growth rate and represent the vast majority of skin cancers. Melanoma, on the other hand, involves the melanocytes(the cells that produce the pigment that creates a tan). This is the dangerous one as it can grow quickly and has a tendency to spread and metastasize to other body parts. This is a very bad thing. The probability of getting skin cancer is related to the amount of sun exposure. All of us that enjoy going out in the sun wearing very little should get checked regularly so that any cancers that form can be dealt with and removed before they become a health risk.  I would imagine that many of us have or have had basal cell or squamous cancer spots.The probability of getting Melanoma (as opposed to Basel or Squamous cell) is also related to the type of sun exposure. For those individuals who experience rapid changes in color(getting a good tan after becoming white in the winter or lying in a tanning bed) will have an increased probability of Melanoma compared to the other types. Individuals who maintain either a white complexion all year long or who maintain a rather dark tan all year round will have a lower relative probability of getting Melanoma (even though the dark ones have a higher overall risk of some type of skin cancer compared to the “white” ones). The “weekend warrior”syndrome exists in this arena as well. This phenomenon could be related to theproduction of vitamin D but is also related to the fact that rapid tanning putsa great stress on the melanocytes, increasing the risk of Melanoma. Therefore, those of us that "must" go out in the sun would be better off if we kept a consistent degree of tan and avoided burning in spots (like tan lines when we change suit styles).Disclaimer – I am not a medical doctor.

I had a basal cell skin cancer on my cheek at the age of 60. It was only a quarter inch wide when I
noticed it. This was quite surprising to me, as I trim my mustache in front of the mirror several times a week.
It would seem that I would have noticed this thing long before I did.
The dermatologist made a cut about an inch and a half long and plenty wide , to remove it. It turned out to
be kinda like a mini face lift--- looks pretty good actually, now I'm trying to figure out how to get the other
side done without a lot of hassle. 
One of my favorite pastimes is sun tanning so this skin cancer was sort of a shock. I'm fair haired and light
skinned, but have always tanned easily and quite dark.
So I put the hours on internet research and came up with a few things that I have incorporated into my
lifestyle, to hopefully lessen the chance of another skin cancer.
I have started to grow aloe vera plants (soap aloe ) sort of a succulent / cactus type of plant. One of the
best things I have found to put on a sunburn. It repairs skin damage from radiation and does great with
sunburn. I cut a part of a leaf in half and squeeze the gel like juice over any areas that may have gotten a
bit too much sun. I repeat 3 or 4 times as needed at about 30 minute intervals. This really does draw out a
sunburn.
I also take aloe vera gel supplements (from gnc or vitaminn shoppe) on Saturday, and Sunday, which are
the days that I will most likely get the most sun exposure.
Interestingly,  it seems that I might not be getting enough vitamin D3 because of my age, and the fact that
I always slather several ounces of  a #60 sunblock on before going out for a day of tanning. It seems that
enough vitamim D3 is essential for a body to "through off" a skin cancer insult. I think this works much like
how one gets a cold sore - which is the body's way of getting rid of a virus. I now supplement with Vitamin D3
in the middle of the week.
I would be interested to hear from any medical types on the board about the relationship between D3 and
skin cancer / sunburn protection.  
 

You gotta get rays during 11 am to 3 pm when the UV type rays are out only at that time. Blocking the type UV rays with sunblock is counter productive.
I to got to get checked out with my MD with a mole growing larger everyday.

 I've had keratoma acanthoma on my hairy chest. They tell me it's caused from the hair follicles getting gunked up with junk . Although I never put sun screen on my back, I've never had any thing cut off or biopsied off my back..My demo. has routinely "frozen" spots on my back using their new  pressurized CO2 canister; a  less medieval practice than the old s tyro-foam cup full of steaming dry ice with a q-tip..
So my Dermo Dr. listens to my "phenomenological" patient hypothesis  that using "bad types of sun screen in my youth on my chest has contributed to this..but never agrees with me..I realize that the skin not covered with hair is thicker than the skin with hair on it, except for bald heads and other places where naturally there would be hair..but my Dermo Dr. still encourages me to slather on the the sun screen..So then I bring up the "old-way" of tanning..When we were kids, we'd burn, peel and then get a tan..My back and chest are covered with freckles from those days, but I've only had the keratoma acanthoma on my hairy chest.

I wrote the first post above and I assume I am the only one so far that has read the book.  However, Bmicro's assessment is pretty much in total agreement with what the book says.  And I am certainly no expert, but just interested because I love to sun.

 sun and UV light is addictive.http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/06/19/sun-tanning-may-act-like-an-addiction-in-the-brain/

Sailor, I saw this story on the news yesterday. Now I feel justified.

as a family we spend a lot of time outdoors during the summer and normally tan very well. i remember back to being very young dad would use Olive oil on all of us as did his father before him. on days we wold be out in the sun he would apply the olive oil to damp skin just after a shower just the one application per day and we never got burned nor did we peel.  i have researched the spf protection of the olive oil and it has an spf of 7.4. it lets the non harmful uv rays through which help development of vitimin D naturally.  for the last couple of years i have been trialing Coconut oil on myself and my 2 young sons. the protection factor is still the same as the olive oil but does not stay greasy on the skin it drys "dry" number 1 son soon to be 11 spends hours playing outdoors shirtless and he is getting a good tan. number 2 son is 4 and he is just as active and loves to be outdoors too. we have a small paddling pool which he plays in a lot when the weather is warm.

if we have been to the beach all day we have another solution that we apply at the end of the day after a warm shower. i mix Coconut oil with rubbing alcohol and rub this into the skin on the more exposed areas (Shoulders and arms).  we as a family seem to get a deeper tan than others as a result. and there has been no history of skin problems through five generations of my family.

 Don't read my lips! Read the scientific facts that sun exposure can lead to damage of the skin and possible cancers. Why not Google sun related skin cancers and the data on how long it takes to develop sun cancers? Excess sun exposure ages skin producing premature wrinkles. I have seen large numbers of early aged looking beach people in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida. If sun lovers are of the genetic disposition sun exposure over time or excessive occasional intense sunburns set you up for cancers. Don't trust my words ask a dermatologist or oncologist! Just like smokers sun damages the skin along with aging it. I remember reading an newspaper article from the San Diego Tribune of +30 years ago about nude sunbathing for men. It brought to light that the thin skin of the scrotum which contain the testes affords almost no protection from solar radiation thus men sunning nude are inviting testicular cancers.Personally I never engage in nude sun bathing in direct sunlight. There are no cures for testicular cancers which are painful and quick means to death.

Interesting that you mix rubbing alcohol at what mixture?

Find many products sold in stores which protect your skin from sunburn also cause toxic damage to your well being. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Using popular sun protecting lotions can provide more harm then good. Companies today are changing forumula mixtures reducing the harmful toxic ingredients then 5 years ago. 
While using the most healthy suntan lotion i could find it's unsafe to use as most are. So i made a change making my own suntan lotion. You can find many formulas and ingredients online to use and get same results as the toxic goo i paid for year after year.
True that many natural oils contain spf protection, such as carrot oil spf 45, etc.. 
What i use is a mixture of beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil. Sesame seed oil with tree tea oil and lavender mixed in. Got to admit it's incredable bug repelant and skin moisturizer. Also a spf of about 7 which is what i always used and bought in the past. If someone needs strongest spf use zinc oxide mixed in your natural oils and it will be impossible to get a tan if your so inclined.
 

People have looked upon me telling how great my tan looks. Others who tan regularly also stared upon me with envy on the way i look. Still haven't gotten a perfect tan to my liking but summer just started and need to work more on it. Reminds me i need to cook up another batch because i'm running a little low.

What i noticed not using toxic spf lotions that i feel much better at the beach and aftetwards. In the past i believe the toxic chemicals absorbed through my skin and blood stream causing ill effects and damage.  Certain parts of my body absorb more toxins from the store brand spf lotions, anyone being a  nudist understands.
Everyone needs vitamin D and natural sunlight provides that to our body. If you smear yourself with high amount of spf lotion your blocking any chance of vitamin D getting into your body.
Be cautious not to use any citris oils or high vitamin A oils which can cause damage to your body. Olive oil has some amounts of Vitamin A but used sparingly with other oils can be safe.

 Wear plenty of sunscreen, high factor. I loe the sun but have been told that I should wear very high factor and even wear F20 in slight sun due to having had a basel cell carcinoma taken out of my back a couple of years ago. 

i think so, its summer and when im in the sun it feels way better then in the shade here. its way better in the sun when your wearing a thong bathing suit. i like feeling the sun on my bum.

mack_back
 the mixture of Coconut oil to Rubbing alcohol is roughly 95% oil to 5% alcohol. i have also mixed the alcohol with Olive oil too. this mixture was found by my father in the early 90's in Bulgaria. he got talking with a lifeguard on the beach there and he used the least expensive Vodka that he could buy and rubbed it onto the areas most affeced by sun then rubbed coconut oil in after, so my father started adding rubbing alcohol to some oil at home and we have used it ever since. another source of alcohol is Iso-propanol (IPA) is the industrial name for it. tatooists buy it that way for cleaning skin before tatooing and less expensive than buying rubbing alcohol at a phamacy

 unless you are one of the less fortunate types, who are susceptible to skin cancer, the sun is as primary a source of life and health as water.......just ask a plant or a dinosaur......ya can't live without sun........I'm fortunate that I have that Mediterranean skin, and my flesh tans to a gorgeous caramel......I lay in the sun nearly every other day........don't use sunscreen or any other kind of lotion.......the art of tanning is not to burn da flesh, but the real bonus of getting a lot of sun is that I do not get sick......I haven't been sick in about a decade,.......

Maybe a new "excuse" for minimal swimwear is "I'm maximizing my vitamin D production by exposing all this skin"! Since Vitamin D helps immunity!

I’m a big believer that everyone should try and get sun for the health benefits more than anything! Thus, wearing a thong is crucial to get all the sun I can get while being legal to tan. Of course nude is best.. but honestly i prefer wearing a thong over being nude anyways. I notice I’m never sick during the summer months because I’m always going to the beach or tanning in my backyard/driveway. I just feel so much better over all.

After seeing this photo, I always wear sunscreen, even in winter. https://www.livescience.com/20743-photo-sun-damage-skin-cancer.html

Last summer in UK I did stuff in the garden as naked as possible - I didn't use any sun screen, but was careful to avoid burning. I built a good tan (for a white english person..) that has lasted through the winter. MY OH commented recently that my butt was still tanned. When we go abroad for holidays I am careful to use sun screen (spf 30 and 15) over there due to being on beaches etc and going in sea. I also get under shade as much as possible. It seems that many locals in Mediterranean start early in the year and tend to be on beaches in mornings and late afternoons, avoiding the 11.00am-3.00pm periods. They use that time for relaxing lunches etc. Seems a good idea. The guy in the live science article was affected by having sun on one side due to driving a lot and so the damage to his face makes sense. Tinted windows and air con seems to be the answer to that. I prefer to keep a t shirt off while working outside, or if I do have a t shirt on I will also have something around my neck too - I find it is the junction between covered and bare skin that seems to exacerbate sun burn - I guess that the body doesn't feel the burn due to the covered areas. I notice the same with gaps in sun screen - the gaps burn bad - so am careful to get full coverage of sun screen or none at all. Me and my OH tend to get naked and help each other get 100% coverage with the sun screen. Personally I think the benefits of sunshine and being outdoors are really good - I just have to be careful to go easy with it.

Sun is very dangerous, especially for pale skins. I protect myself (and my kids) from the sun. I try to avoid sunburns. So, I put sunscreen (SFP 50) if I go out when the UV index is high. Mostly when I ride my bicycle because sun exposure is not only on the beach. Here, most of the people think you catch skin cancer on the beach. But it is wrong. The beach is not the only place where you have to be careful. I put a big hat during summer. I don't go to the beach during hot hours. Some say to avoid the beach between 12 to 16 p.m. But I don't like this tip because it is too restrictive at the end of august and not enough restrictive during july. I apply the "45° tip". You put an objet vertically. If the shadow is taller than the object, it is OK. You can go to the sun (with sunscreen) otherwise it is better to avoid the beach. It is not necessary to spend a lot of hours in the sun to have a light tan. A few hours are enough. Personally, I don't seek to have a tan. I like my pale skin. So, tanning is not a goal for me. You can thong without the goal to tan.

Found some data on skin cancer rates around the world. Interesting that Canada and Italy are joint 19th - I think more Italians will sunbathe than Canadians? Skin cancer rates: both sexes Australia had the highest rate of melanoma in 2018, followed by New Zealand. Rank Country Age-standardised rate per 100,000 1 Australia 33.6 2 New Zealand 33.3 3 Norway 29.6 4 Denmark 27.6 5 Netherlands 25.7 6 Sweden 24.7 7 Germany 21.6 8 Switzerland 21.3 9 Belgium 19.9 10 Slovenia 18.6 11 Luxembourg 16.5 12 Ireland 16.3 13 Finland 15.8 14 UK 15.0 15= Austria 13.6 15= France (metropolitan) 13.6 17 US 12.7 18 Czech Republic 12.6 19= Canada 12.4 19= Italy 12.4 Skin cancer rates in men Australia had the highest rate of melanoma in men in 2018, followed by New Zealand. Rank Country Age-standardised rate per 100,000 1 Australia 40.4 2 New Zealand 35.8 3 Norway 29.0 4 Netherlands 26.4 5 Sweden 23.5 6 Switzerland 23.4 7 Denmark 22.4 8 Germany 19.6 9 Luxembourg 18.1 10 Slovenia 18.0 11= Belgium 16.2 11= Finland 16.2 13= Austria 15.0 13= UK 15.0 15 US 14.9 16 France (metropolitan) 14.4 17 Italy 14.0 18 Ireland 13.6 19 Canada 13.4 20 Czech Republic 13.3 Skin cancer rates in women Denmark had the highest rate of melanoma in women in 2018, followed by New Zealand. Rank Country Age-standardised rate per 100,000 1 Denmark 33.1 2 New Zealand 31.1 3 Norway 30.7 4 Australia 27.5 5 Sweden 26.2 6 Netherlands 25.4 7 Germany 24.0 8 Belgium 23.9 9 Slovenia 19.7 10 Switzerland 19.5 11 Ireland 19.0 12 Finland 15.9 13 Luxembourg 15.4 14 UK 15.3 15 France (metropolitan) 12.9 16 Austria 12.6 17 Czech Republic 12.4 18= Canada 11.7 18= Iceland 11.7 20 Estonia 11.4 21= Italy 11.0 21= US 11.0 23 Greece 10.3 24 Hungary 10.1 25 Lithuania 9.0 https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/cancer-trends/skin-cancer-statistics

Back in 2014 my neighbor passed away from complications from skin cancer / melanoma. He had a spot on his abdomen that he never got checked out and it was cancerous and by the time they caught it, it had already gotten into his blood system. Prior to that, I had never been to the dermatologist, but since his passing, I go annually for full body checkups. The Dr always freezes pre-cancerous spots from my arms, face, head and ears. An average visit used to be +/- 8 spots he would freeze. The last couple of visits it has been down to 4 or 5 spots. Other than a couple skin tags, he has never had to cut any places off me that were suspected cancerous. I don't like going to any Dr, but I go religiously to my dermatologist just to be safe. As everyone already knows, it isn't the sun we get today that is the potential problem but the sun burns that we got when we were kids is where the damage was done in most cases. By staying on top of these pre-cancerous places, that should help prevent other problems down the road. I am in the sun often while playing golf and working in the yard, etc. and I always put sunscreen on the problem areas on my body. I do still try to maintain a base tan so when I do get out in the sun, burning is less likely. Dr always sees my thong tan lines during my visit and never has made any comments about them....as expected.