Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Playing outside can help kids' vision

…Spending just 2-3 hours a day playing outside can lower a child’s chance of becoming nearsighted.

…Docs at Duke did the study, which appeared in the Jan issue of Optometry and Vision Science.

…Nearsightedness is a global concern and a leading disability affecting more than 1.6 billion people worldwide. It seems to be on the increase.

…They studied kids of European origin with risk factors of myopia. If they spent 2-3 hours a day outside, they had only a slightly great risk than kids with no factors. A Singapore study had similar findings.

…What is so great about being outdoors? The sunlight and distance viewing (don’t get that with a computer) are possible reasons. They are continuing to “look” into it.

…HA wonders if kids who run around outside a lot aren’t healthier, too—apart from all the different things they look at.

…Of course, this presupposes they don’t put an eye out. Remember how your Mom used to say, “You will put your eye out!”

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