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Why geeks need glasses

Have you ever noticed that the stereotypical geek wears glasses?

Did you ever notice while at school that the members of the first-fifteen seldom wore glasses?

Do you remember your mother telling you that TV would give you square eyes?

Well it may come as no surprise that all these things are linked and your mother, despite not knowing why, was right.

New scientific studies have shown that modern kids are increasingly suffering from myopia (short-sightedness) in numbers that were unheard of just half a century ago and it's all our own fault.

It seems that there is a very definite relationship between being a bookworm, TV addict or computer nerd and myopia -- but perhaps not for the reason you might immediately think of.

Scientists now believe that the link between short-sightedness and reading, TV or computer use is not simply because you eyes spend so much time focusing on closer objects that they loose the ability focus on more distant scenes.

They believe it's more likely associated with the fact that those kids who spend more pursuing indoor activities simply don't have as much light falling on their retinas as those who spend more time outdoors.

Apparently, high levels of light go a long way towards preventing or slowing the progress of myopia.

This brings back another warning I recall my mother issuing... "don't read in the dark, you'll hurt your eyes".

Damn, it's amazing how many of those old adages turn out to have more than a sniff of truth to then isn't it?

With these latest observations in mind, it becomes rather clear why the pasty-white geeks, who spend most of their life with their noses in books or hovering in front of computer screens suffer most from myopia.

Those in the first-fifteen or who pursue other outdoor sports with vigor have enjoyed the protection that being bathed in high light levels during the day can provide.

But things get even worse for today's computer/TV obsessed young kids...

Another factor in the rise of myopia is insulin.

It seems that hi-GI, heavily processed carbohydrate foods tend to cause the release of large amounts of insulin into the blood and this insulin is also a major factor in myopia.

Eating healthy low-GI foods in a kilojoule-controlled diet provides addition protection for your eyesight.

So perhaps it's time for a new "wise saying" from parents...

"Stop eating those chips in front of the TV or you'll go blind"

In countries where there is a strong emphasis on children performing well in academic activities, the incidence of myopia has skyrocketed in recent decades. For example, in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the rate has jumped from 25% to 80%. Further studies have ruled out ethnicity as a factor.

So if you have young kids -- you'd better think long and hard about the risks associated with allowing them to spend protracted periods at the computer, watching TV, reading inside or snacking on hi-calorie foods after school.

Send the little buggers outside to play in the sunshine and give them a carrot to munch on if they're really hungry :-)

If you don't then you may be condemning them to an early lifetime of wearing glasses.

And, if you already wear glasses for myopia -- you really should have listened to your mother, shouldn't you?

New Scientst report on this issue

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