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Outdoor Activity And Nearsightedness In Children
Science Daily ^ | August 5, 2008 | Staff

Posted on 08/05/2008 6:31:11 AM PDT by fightinJAG

ScienceDaily (Aug. 5, 2008) — A growing number of the world's children are mildly to severely nearsighted (myopic), with rates especially high among urbanized East Asians. In addition to coping with poor distance vision, children with severe myopia are more prone to visual impairment and blindness later in life.

Although genetic inheritance plays a role, the rapid rise of myopia suggests that environmental factors are driving the trend. Myopia usually begins and progresses during children's school years, but research on the role of intensive reading or other "near work" has determined that this is a minor factor. A new study led by Kathryn A. Rose, MD, used data from the Sydney Myopia Study of more than 4,000 Australian school children to assess whether outdoor activity might be significant in controlling myopia.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: childhood; education; health; playground; vision
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1 posted on 08/05/2008 6:31:11 AM PDT by fightinJAG
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To: fightinJAG

I’m very myopic and I remember reading a lot but I also know that I spent most of my spare time outside. We lived in a small home in Texas. There were six in the family and my grandmother watched soap operas which I was not allowed to watch and was run outside. In fact, I only got to watch TV on Sunday nights. Did I mention no air conditioning?


2 posted on 08/05/2008 6:35:43 AM PDT by Mercat (For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.)
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To: fightinJAG

Interesting. I also heard that if you sleep with the light on, it increases myopia or at least they claim that chickens in lighted barns are more prone to myopia than free range chickens.
I dont know if I believe this though. I grew up in the country and we were outside more than inside and I had severe myopia. So did my brother who was outside all the time.


3 posted on 08/05/2008 6:35:49 AM PDT by oilfieldtrash
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To: fightinJAG

People need to get outside more. Getting 15 minutes or more of sunlight on your eyes everyday is a good thing.


4 posted on 08/05/2008 6:37:53 AM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: fightinJAG

Video games, Computers, cell phones and iPods...............


5 posted on 08/05/2008 6:38:48 AM PDT by Red Badger (All that carbon in all that oil and coal was once in the atmosphere. We're just putting it back.....)
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To: Always Right

Here, this'll open your eyes.............

6 posted on 08/05/2008 6:39:52 AM PDT by Red Badger (All that carbon in all that oil and coal was once in the atmosphere. We're just putting it back.....)
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To: oilfieldtrash

There doesn’t seem to be any doubt that myopia is primarily a genetic condition. That said, it’s quite plausible to me that not ever looking far into the distance might cause one’s ability to do so to fall into disuse.

Today many kids even watch tv and movies on their computers, which are set right in front of them as per usual for computers. So they are not even looking across a room from the couch to the tv as they get their screen time.


7 posted on 08/05/2008 6:40:03 AM PDT by fightinJAG (Rush was right when he said: "You NEVER win by losing.")
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To: Red Badger

I don’t know what you posted, but I just went blind.


8 posted on 08/05/2008 6:43:05 AM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: oilfieldtrash

They have done studies that hildren are myopic or more myopic on the eye closestto the “night light side” of the bed.


9 posted on 08/05/2008 6:47:37 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan ("Jesse Jackson was an important figure; paving the way for Osama bin Laden to appear" -- Dan Rather)
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To: Mercat

I read alot as a child and now. But only when confined. Other than that, I was out riding bikes, playing ball or any other tomboy activity I could find.

Of course there are always exceptions to the rules.


10 posted on 08/05/2008 6:47:40 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: Always Right

Not just get out more, but get a rifle and target practice and hunt. Nothing tightly focuses the eyes at a distance better than shooting. More gun training growing up means less myopia both physically and politically.


11 posted on 08/05/2008 6:52:20 AM PDT by Reeses (Leftism is powered by the evil force of envy.)
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To: fightinJAG

My parents used to always chastise me and tell me don’t sit so close to the television set. Now I spend ALL DAY in front of a computer monitor even closer than I sat as a child.


12 posted on 08/05/2008 6:54:43 AM PDT by weegee (Hi there.)
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To: Red Badger
Video games, Computers, cell phones and iPods...............

Actually, flourescent lights are the culprit. It will get much worse in the U.S. after regular light bulbs are banned.

13 posted on 08/05/2008 6:56:43 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: Red Badger

ARRRRRGGGH! I’m BLIND!!!

Luckily I can still touch type...


14 posted on 08/05/2008 6:57:11 AM PDT by weegee (Hi there.)
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To: Always Right
Getting 15 minutes or more of sunlight on your eyes everyday is a good thing.

Not according to my opthomologist.

15 posted on 08/05/2008 6:57:14 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall cause you to vote against the Democrats.)
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To: aimhigh

Yep.


16 posted on 08/05/2008 6:58:18 AM PDT by weegee (Hi there.)
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To: MEGoody
Not according to my opthomologist.

Ten years from now your opthomologist will be telling you something different.

17 posted on 08/05/2008 7:07:05 AM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: Red Badger

Kids sitting in their rooms texting their friend next door, rather than meeting him at the fence.


18 posted on 08/05/2008 7:19:36 AM PDT by fightinJAG (Rush was right when he said: "You NEVER win by losing.")
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To: Always Right
Ten years from now your opthomologist will be telling you something different.

LOL Probably so. And 10 years after that, it will be something different again.

19 posted on 08/05/2008 7:20:00 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall cause you to vote against the Democrats.)
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To: Always Right

I was wondering about that recently.

As more comes out about the sunscreen hoax and how people actually do need a certain amount of sunshine, I was wondering if the constant wear of sunglasses had a similar depriving effect on the eyes.


20 posted on 08/05/2008 7:21:02 AM PDT by fightinJAG (Rush was right when he said: "You NEVER win by losing.")
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