obesity

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Do you know what are the risks to your eye health? Find out about blue light and UV rays

New research reveals most Britons unaware of damage to their eyes by surrounding objects, activities, and devices.

Anatomy of the human eye

Anatomy of the human eye

The poll has shown that many British people remain uninformed about the various ways in which eyes are damaged by common daily factors, despite evidence that eye health is affected by blue light[i], UV rays (reflected from common surfaces)[ii], diet[iii], obesity[iv], and smoking[v].

Of the 2,096 people polled, the percentage of respondents aware of the link between known factors affecting and eye health were:

  • Poor diet (59%)
  • Obesity (35%)
  • Smoking tobacco (36%)
  • UV light, not just direct from the sun but reflected off shiny surfaces (54%)
  • Blue light from low energy lightbulbs and electronic screens (29%)

Over one in ten people were completely unaware that any of these factors could affect your eyesight at all.

72% of respondents own or wear prescription glasses but only 28% knew that there were lenses available (for both prescription and non-prescription glasses) to protect against some of these factors. Namely ‘blue light’ (emitted from electronic devices and low energy light bulbs), and ‘UV light’ (not only directly from the sun but also from reflections such as off of water, windows, and road surfaces).


76% admitted they haven’t heard of E-SPF ratings – the grade given to lenses to show the level of protection they offer against UV.

Just 13% have lenses with protection from direct and reflected UV light, and only 2% have protection from blue light (from screens, devices, and low energy bulbs).

Poll results showed that younger people were most aware of the dangers of UV and blue light, yet least aware of how smoking tobacco and obesity can affect your eye health. W

Awareness of the impacts of smoking and obesity on eye health is significantly higher in Scotland (47% & 49% respectively) than anywhere else in the UK (35% & 33% in England and 40% & 38% in Wales).

Essilor’s Professional Relations Manager, Andy Hepworth, has commented: “The lack of awareness about these common risks to people’s eyes is concerning. Not only would many more glasses wearers be better protected, but also many people who do not wear glasses would likely take precautions too, if made aware of the dangers and the existence of non-prescription protective lenses”

To see the full results of the poll, please visit the Essilor site here: http://www.essilor.co.uk/all_about_vision/all_about_vision_news_events/Eye_Health_At_Risk

For more information on the protection offered from blue light and UV through specialist lens coatings, for both prescriptions and non-prescription glasses, please see here for Essilor UV & Blue Light Protection.

 

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,096 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st and 24th August 2015.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

[i] Blue light causes a chemical to be produced that brings on cell death in the eye. Over time this can lead to age related muscular degeneration (AMD). – Aging of Cultured Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells: Oxidative Reactions, Lipofuscin Formation and Blue Light Damage – Documenta Ophthalmologica. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022419606629

 

[ii] Prolonged exposure to UV rays can bring about early-onset cataracts and premature ocular aging. – Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Cataract Formation – The New England Journal of Medicine. http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198812013192201
Reflected UV rays are arguably more important than direct rays, as they are responsible for 50% of the UV radiation we receive, yet it is not as immediately obvious to the public that this is a concern. – Meyler J and Schnider C. The role of UV-blocking soft CLs in ocular protection. Optician 2002, 223: 5854: 28-32.

 

[iii] A good diet rich in carotenoids from foods such as broccoli, green beans, leafy greens, foods with vitamins C and E, foods with omega-3 fatty acids and foods with zinc can help prevent macular degeneration. – Dietary Antioxidants and the Long-term Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Blue Mountains Eye Study – Ophthalmology. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161642007004745 and Dietary Carotenoids, Vitamins A, C, and E, and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration – The Journal of the American Medical Association. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=382145

 

[iv] Obesity puts pressure on to blood vessels, which are especially delicate in your eyes, and this causes damage that can lead to poor vision. Obesity is also related to poor nutrition, which can prevent your eyes from getting the vitamins they need to maintain good health. – Obesity, Lutein Metabolism, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: a Web of Connections – Nutrition Reviews – Oxford Journals. http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/1/9

 

[1] Blue light causes a chemical to be produced that brings on cell death in the eye. Over time this can lead to age related muscular degeneration (AMD). – Aging of Cultured Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells: Oxidative Reactions, Lipofuscin Formation and Blue Light Damage – Documenta Ophthalmologica. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022419606629

 

[1] Prolonged exposure to UV rays can bring about early-onset cataracts and premature ocular aging. – Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Cataract Formation – The New England Journal of Medicine. http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198812013192201
Reflected UV rays are arguably more important than direct rays, as they are responsible for 50% of the UV radiation we receive, yet it is not as immediately obvious to the public that this is a concern. – Meyler J and Schnider C. The role of UV-blocking soft CLs in ocular protection. Optician 2002, 223: 5854: 28-32.

 

[1] A good diet rich in carotenoids from foods such as broccoli, green beans, leafy greens, foods with vitamins C and E, foods with omega-3 fatty acids and foods with zinc can help prevent macular degeneration. – Dietary Antioxidants and the Long-term Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Blue Mountains Eye Study – Ophthalmology. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161642007004745 and Dietary Carotenoids, Vitamins A, C, and E, and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration – The Journal of the American Medical Association. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=382145

 

[1] Obesity puts pressure on to blood vessels, which are especially delicate in your eyes, and this causes damage that can lead to poor vision. Obesity is also related to poor nutrition, which can prevent your eyes from getting the vitamins they need to maintain good health. – Obesity, Lutein Metabolism, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: a Web of Connections – Nutrition Reviews – Oxford Journals. http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/1/9

 

[1] Smoking amplifies the impact of oxidation on cells in the eye, as well as restricting blood flow and causing build-up of heavy metals in the eye. – Smoking And Neovascular Form Of Age Related Macular Degeneration In Late Middle Aged Males: Findings From A Case-Control Study In Japan – British Journal of Ophthalmology. http://bjo.bmj.com/content/81/10/901.full

 

[v] Smoking amplifies the impact of oxidation on cells in the eye, as well as restricting blood flow and causing build-up of heavy metals in the eye. – Smoking And Neovascular Form Of Age Related Macular Degeneration In Late Middle Aged Males: Findings From A Case-Control Study In Japan – British Journal of Ophthalmology. http://bjo.bmj.com/content/81/10/901.full

 

Leave a comment Posted on Weight Loss

What do you think about the idea of a fat tax? Take our poll


On Monday of this week the British Medical Association announced that it was lobbying the UK’s

Do you support a fat tax?

Do you support a fat tax?

government to try to ensure a 20% tax on sugary drinks to help find the obesity epidemic by promoting weight loss.

Indeed if Prof Sheila Hollins is to be believed then it will take 180,000 folk out of the obesity zone. Thus lowering the number of people who develop conditions such as T2 diabetes, for example!

So what is your view? Should we be increasing taxes on things which are fattening?

We have created a poll below to allow you to share your opinion.

It would be great if you would use the comments section below to add anything else you think would be of interest to our readers.

Thanks very much in advance!


Leave a comment Posted on Obesity

UK investment in obesity prevention woefully inadequate. Says Expert on child obesity ahead of major obesity conference held last month.


Dr Paul Sacher

Dr Paul Sacher

We interview Dr Paul Sacher on obesity, its causes, effects and how to treat it.

Click on the arrow below to listen.

“He is hugely respected as a child obesity expert, having founded MEND, the largest international child weight management programme, and he has an excellent knowledge and deep understanding of the obesity landscape.”

Paul previously worked in the NHS for more than 11 years and is a recognised author and expert in weight management, nutrition and health. He was the clinical health consultant for Jamie Oliver’s “Return to Jamie’s School Dinners” (Channel 4) and regularly appeared on “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids” (BBC One & Three) and has been interviewed numerous times on national TV and radio news channels and with regular appearances on BBC Breakfast TV and ITV This Morning. He has been an invited speaker at over 42 national and international conferences and has published 14 peer-reviewed publications, 3 books and 2 manuals. He previously held a National Institute of Health Research PhD Scholarship and is registered with the Health Professions Council and a member of the British Dietetic Association, the Canadian Obesity Network and the USA Obesity Society. He was a finalist in the Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health Awards, UK, in 2010 and awarded the British Dietetic Association’s most prestigious award (Rose Simmonds) for 2011.


1 Comment Posted on Obesity, Patient Talk

Overweight people humiliated, insulted and ignored on a regular basis says new research. Watch our latest video!


Overweight people humiliated, insulted and ignored on a regular basis

Overweight people humiliated, insulted and ignored on a regular basis

New research shows that two fifths of overweight people experience some form of judgement, criticism or humiliation at least once-a-week.

People who are overweight are frequently insulted by shop assistants, ignored by bar staff, left out by friends, mocked by passers-by, ridiculed by the opposite sex and photographed by teenagers as part of a widespread culture of discrimination that not only causes people to feel depressed and ashamed, but can lead to comfort eating, causing a vicious cycle. A study of 2,573 people who have lost weight reveals the extent to which people are treated differently depending purely on their size. In modern times we do not discriminate against people due to race or gender, but why do we still let it happen when it is associated with a person’s weight?

Professor James Stubbs, Chair of Behaviour Change and Weight Management at the University of Derby and Senior Research Specialist for Slimming World is calling for more understanding and sympathy for overweight people to prevent the cycle of shame and weight gain that undermines many weight loss attempts. 29 year old Sam Akerman also tells us about her amazing weight loss journey and how discrimination led to her gaining weight before she went on to lose more than 6 stone due to health reasons.


At their heaviest, people suffered humiliations such as young people winding their car window down to shout abuse, fellow passengers refusing to share a seat on public transport, groups of men in nightclubs feigning romantic interest and teenagers taking pictures or videos on their smartphone. As customers, some faced rude comments on their food choices from supermarket staff, laughter from shop assistants when they asked for clothes in a bigger size and feeling humiliated as bar staff served slimmer customers that were standing behind them first. The results showed that on average, 40 per cent of overweight people experience some form of judgement, criticism or humiliation at least once-a-week.

The survey from Slimming World found that weight discrimination does not motivate people to lose weight. Instead, incidents of discrimination left recipients feeling ashamed (47 per cent), depressed (41 per cent) and useless (30 per cent), with the majority (65 per cent) turning to food for comfort and only a tiny minority (two per cent) making long-term healthy changes as a result. Two thirds of respondents (63 per cent) reported gaining weight over time since they were first treated unkindly because of their size. This suggests that rather than motivating people who are struggling with their weight, discrimination and stigma actually make things worse.

Respondents said that since losing weight they were now more likely to be acknowledged by strangers with a smile (61 per cent), eye contact (54 per cent), a compliment (49 per cent), a hello (43 per cent) and a conversation (41 per cent). They also reported getting served for drinks much more quickly in bars now that they had lost weight, typically taking only three minutes to get served compared to an average of nine minutes when they were at their heaviest.

Leave a comment Posted on Obesity, Patient Talk

Since 1980 Childhood Obesity Rates have tripled – Find out the facts about childhood obesity here.


Childhood obesity is one of the major health issues of our time. Especially in developed nations.

Check out this infographic to get the facts.