Interesting, obesity also risks eye sight

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Sight Charity warns it's not just obesity that puts eyesight at risk

Response Source (UK)

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

By Submitter: Knowles Cadbury Brown

Sight Charity warns it's not just obesity that puts eyesight at risk -

lack of exercise, poor diet, excessive alcohol and other lifestyle

factors all play

a part. (Includes regional statistics)

Unhealthy lifestyle puts vision at risk as number of people registered

blind rises

Sight charity the Eyecare Trust is warning how poor diets, lack of

exercise, excessive alcohol and obesity could be to blame for an

alarming decline in

the UK's vision.

A report commissioned by HealthSure, one of the UK's leading and most

innovative healthcare cash plan providers, to mark National Eye Week (11

- 17 September)

highlights how Brits are oblivious to the fact that making the right

lifestyle choices can preserve, and even restore, their vision.

More than half of those surveyed for the healthy eyes report had no idea

that what they ate could affect how well they see. This is despite the

fact that

eating just one portion of fish a week can reduce your risk of

developing macular degeneration3 - a condition that severely impairs the

vision of over

600,000 people in the UK - by over 40 per cent.

Your weight can also influence your risk of developing potentially

sight-threatening conditions. Maintaining a healthy body mass index

(BMI) helps to preserve

macular pigment density, which, in turn, helps to protect the retina

against the breakdown of cells in the eye and the onset of age-related

macular degeneration

(AMD).

Damage to blood vessels in the eye caused by excess body weight has also

been linked to the onset of glaucoma and diabetes.

Smokers too have a significantly higher risk of eye disease than

non-smokers. According to research published by the RNIB smokers are

twice as likely to

loose their sight in later life than non-smokers. Tobacco chemicals

damage the blood vessels behind the eye, which increases the risk of

developing age-related

macular degeneration (AMD). Smoking is also associated with other eye

diseases such as cataracts.

Although there have been a number of campaigns highlighting the link

between smoking and eye disease most of us (42%) are still unaware of

the dangers that

smoking presents to our eye health.

However, encouragingly, 60 per cent of smokers surveyed for the Healthy

Eyes report confessed that the thought of damaging their sight would

incentivise

them to quit.

Iain , Chairman of the Eyecare Trust comments: " As the number of

people registered blind or partially sighted continues to rise we are

uncovering

growing evidence that lifestyle factors play a significant role in

determining the long-term health of our eyes. Making the right lifestyle

choices from

the start can help preserve your vision, however, it's never too late to

start making changes, as in some instances, vision that is already in

decline

can be restored by following a healthy diet, taking regular exercise and

generally cutting down on the things that we know are bad for us like

cigarettes

and alcohol. "

To help encourage people to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle and

keep their eyes in peak condition the Eyecare Trust, in partnership with

National

Eye Week sponsor, HealthSure, has produced a ten-step guide to healthy

eyes.

Copies of the guide can be found online at

www.eyecare-trust.org.uk

or in optician practices displaying the Eyecare Information Centre logo.

- ends -

For further information please contact:

Spackman

Eyecare Trust Press Office

Tel 01225 423394 or Email:

rachel@...

Notes to Editors

Ten steps eyes to healthy eyes

1. Eat a diet rich in lutein and fatty acids

2. Exercise regularly

3. Get a good night's sleep

4. Quit smoking

5. Use protective goggles

6. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink

7. Protect your eyes against the harmful effects of UV light

8. Watch your weight and maintain a healthy BMI

9. Drink water

10. Have regular eye examinations

1. The Eyecare Trust is a registered charity that exists to raise

awareness of all aspects of ocular health and the importance of regular

eyecare.

2. HealthSure is a not-for-profit organisation that has been providing

corporate and consumer healthcare cash plans for over 130 years. Its

policies provide

cash payments towards the cost of regular essential healthcare

treatments such as an eye examination, new glasses or contact lenses.

3. Dietary Fatty Acids and the 5-Year Incidence of Age-related

Maculopathy, Chua et al.

Regional breakdown of statistics

People's knowledge of the factors that affect our vision vary by region.

In Scotland only 18% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes report

knew that weight could affect their vision. Whilst, 37% knew diet could

affect sight

and only 4% knew exercise could preserve vision. 40% knew smoking could

damage your sight, 63% thought drugs might affect your sight, 55%

thought excessive

alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 67% knew certain

medication could affect sight. 4% of those surveyed also thought too

much sex might make

us go goggle eyed!

In the North West only 18% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 46% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 13% knew exercise could preserve vision. 38% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 53% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 51% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 50% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 4% of those surveyed also thought

too much sex

might make us go goggle eyed!

In the North East only 21% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 48% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 15% knew exercise could preserve vision. 43% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 56% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 50% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 50% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 3% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

In Yorkshire and the Humber only 40% of those questioned for the Healthy

Eyes report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 50% knew

diet could

affect your sight and only 30% knew exercise could preserve vision. 20%

knew smoking could damage your sight, 20% thought drugs might affect

your sight,

40% thought excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and

40% knew certain medication could affect sight. 4% also thought too much

sex might

make us go goggle eyed!

In Wales only 24% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes report knew

that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 42% knew diet could affect

your sight,

and only 3% knew exercise could preserve vision. 36% knew smoking could

damage your sight, 46% thought drugs might affect your sight, 46%

thought excessive

alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 46% knew certain

medication could affect sight. 15% also thought too much sex might make

us go goggle

eyed!

In the West Midlands only 19% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 42% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 15% knew exercise could preserve vision. 36% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 57% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 51% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 54% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 2% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

In the East Midlands only 27% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 43% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 14% know exercise could preserve vision. 49% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 74% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 67% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 57% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 8% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

In East Anglia only 18% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes report

knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 27% knew diet could

affect your

sight and only 9% knew exercise could preserve vision. 18% knew smoking

could damage your sight, 27% thought drugs might affect your sight, 36%

thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 27% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 9% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

In the South West only 21% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 42% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 9% knew exercise could preserve vision. 18% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 48% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 49% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 51% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 2% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

In the South East only 29% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 50% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 13% knew exercise could preserve vision. 48% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 58% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 62% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 58% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 5% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

In Northern Ireland only 27% of those questioned for the Healthy Eyes

report knew that weight could affect your vision. Whilst, 40% knew diet

could affect

your sight and only 13% knew exercise could preserve vision. 7% knew

smoking could damage your sight, 33% thought drugs might affect your

sight, 60% thought

excessive alcohol could play a part in how well we see and 66% knew

certain medication could affect sight. 7% also thought too much sex

might make us go

goggle eyed!

The HealthSure Healthy Eyes report surveyed 2,1250 adults across the UK

between 24 -31 July 2006.

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