How can your weight affect your eyesight?

From the website http://www.webchats.tv




It is common knowledge that expanding waistlines are linked to life-threatening conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But many of us are unaware that obesity is also linked to blindness and other serious eye health issues.

Excess body weight can cause damage to blood vessels in the eye linked to the onset of glaucoma and diabetes. Studies have also shown people with a high body mass index (BMI) tend to have low macula pigment density and are therefore at greater risk of suffering diseases such as AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Likewise, too much alcohol, too much smoking, and even too much time at the computer screen contributes heavily to losing your eyesight.

According to official figures almost one in four UK adults are obese (23% in 2006), expected by the government to hit one in three adults next year. However many Brits are unaware that they even class as obese and are therefore putting their eyes at risk.

National Eye Week (9th to 15th November), organised by the Eyecare Trust, seeks to promote the importance of looking after your eyes and making regular visits to the optician. If you are worried about how your weight can affect your eyesight, make sure you log onto our live and interactive Web TV show with a director of the Eyecare Trust Rosie Gavzey and David Dickinson, for top tips on adjusting your lifestyle to keep your eyes healthy, advice on spotting on the early warning signs and ideas on how to meet the cost of eyecare and eye wear.

Rosie Gavzey, a Director of the Eyecare Trust and David Dickinson, join us live online to discuss sight loss and obesity.

For more information visit www.nationaleyeweek.co.uk (live from the 2nd of November)

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Howto & Style

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• health