The ten million adults and two million children in the UK who are obese are at double the risk of losing their sight, according to a new report published today by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) supported by Boots Opticians.
The “Feeling great, looking good” report reveals a direct link between obesity and some of the common eye conditions that cause blindness. Barbara McLaughlan, RNIB Eye Health Consultant, said: “With a staggering one in five adults and children in the UK now considered to be obese, RNIB believes it is
vital that people are made aware of the risks to their sight.”
David Cartwright, Boots Opticians, said: “We estimate that in 2005, only one in four children and a third of adults had an eye test. Research shows that anyone who does not have an eye test at least once every two years is at risk of missing signs of specific eye conditions, or underlying systemic diseases such as high blood pressure or glaucoma, as revealed in the report.