Extreme sun protection

I get asked a lot by my non-Asian friends as too why Asian people are so afraid of the sun, to the extent that they have to use an umbrella?? My answer typically sounds something like, 'it's just the culture, everybody do it.' 

Now today I saw something that even I found a little odd to look at. It was a beautiful day and there was this old couple running/speed walking on a track field near my house, what was unusually was that they were carrying a umbrella while they were running!!! And I was like, OMG, we Asians are little weird when it comes to  the sun. At least they were well equip against sun damage.