This, from Medical Daily:
By 2050, an increase in myopia, or nearsightedness, may reach epidemic proportions, potentially blinding up to one billion people worldwide. After examining studies of trendssurrounding myopia globally, researchers at the Brien Holden Vision Institute are encouraging us to act now to prevent widespread vision loss from becoming a reality.
The researchers have also found that half the world’s population, or an estimated five billion people, will likely be myopic by 2050, with one-fifth falling into the high myopic category, meaning they are at a greater risk of blindness. Because of this, the researchers strongly suggest we implement behavioral interventions and preventive optical treatments to stop this condition from growing. Right now, an estimated two billion people have been diagnosed with myopia.
In their paper, Professor Kovin Naidoo, acting CEO of Brien Holden Vision Institute, said that it is essential for governments, health care providers, and schools to work together to help protect vision for both children and adults.
“Firstly, the public must be made aware that this threat exists,” Naidoo said in a press release. “Secondly, we need researchers and public health practitioners to develop effective solutions. Thirdly, eye care professionals need to be better equipped to manage patients at risk.”
As a frequent reader of this blog, none of this is shocking news to you.
Here’s what’s interesting, though. Look at that article, and tell me what’s wrong with it.
See it?
Yes, there is nothing out there for solutions, all the hand wringing and pleading by a small niche segment of the profession aside. “Develop effective solutions”, they say. It’s the conceptually myopic statements like these, that make me snicker. Developing effective solutions would first require optometry as a whole to admit that they were entirely, badly wrong, since the start. And a successful solution would effectively kill a hundred billion dollar a year industry.
Until there is profit in vision health, widespread change is not going to happen.
All you’ve got until then is the slightly strange left field guy, the beardless, mountain-ashram-less eye guru, one dubiously self ascribed Jake, telling you how it is.
Cheerios, keep those eyeballs healthy.
-Jake
Learn more at http://curemydisorder.com/links/improve-eyesight-tedmaser-site