Obsessions, whether with food, shopping, television, or other activities, rarely yield positive outcomes. Some habits pose more serious health risks than others, but it’s crucial to recognize the long-term impact that an obsession can have. When an activity begins to take over daily life or replace important responsibilities, seeking support from friends or professional counseling can help prevent negative consequences.

For Patricia Krentcil, her fixation on tanning catapulted her into viral fame. Starting in her early twenties, tanning became a major part of her life. By 23, she visited City Tropics tanning salon in Nutley, New Jersey, up to five times a week, each session lasting up to 12 minutes. With a $100 monthly unlimited plan, tanning became a routine. “I’ve been tanning my whole life, going to the beach, tanning salons, and so forth,” Patricia said.

Her rise to fame, however, was not due to her tanning habits alone. In May 2012, Patricia faced criminal charges of child endangerment after allegedly placing her six-year-old daughter, Anna, in a tanning booth, resulting in minor burns. Patricia denied the accusations, insisting she would never expose her daughter to tanning. “No, not at all, not whatsoever,” she stated.

Despite her denial, Nutley police arrested Patricia, alleging she took Anna to the tanning salon, causing the child’s burns. According to ABC, New Jersey law prohibits children under 14 from using tanning facilities. Those aged 14 and older require parental consent. The controversy began when a school nurse asked Anna about her burns, and the child reportedly said, “I go tanning with mommy.” Patricia, however, claimed Anna got sunburned while playing outside. “There’s not room… I would never permit it… It didn’t happen,” Patricia asserted, emphasizing that Anna only accompanied her to the salon without entering the booth.

The media quickly dubbed her “Tan Mom,” and her image circulated worldwide, shedding light on tanorexia, a condition where individuals fail to recognize their excessive tanning. Dermatologist Doris Day described tanorexia as a problematic condition: “When you look at this, this is somebody who has a problem which most likely has a condition called tanorexia, where they just don’t realize just how much color they have.” She compared tanning to smoking, emphasizing that the younger one starts, the greater the cumulative damage.

Dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, who had never encountered a case as extreme as Patricia’s, found her tanning routine alarming. “Going to a tanning salon 20 times a month, frankly, is insane, especially with all of the public education and awareness campaigns on the dangers of tanning beds and skin cancers,” he said. Zeichner believed Patricia exhibited signs of body dysmorphic disorder, where individuals are dissatisfied with their appearance and seek cosmetic procedures to alter their looks.