Obesity and the Eye

Dr. Nelson — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:24:34 +0000

The visual system is vulnerable to the effects of excessive body weight. Numerous eye conditions are caused by or accelerated as a result of obesity. Maintaining a healthy body weight will reduce your risk of getting these eye conditions and many others:

Diabetic Retinopathy: Microvascular abnormalities cause blurred vision and can result in severe vision loss or even blindness.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Permanent central-vision loss.
Cataracts: Clouding of the ocular lens results in glare and blurred vision.
Glaucoma: Elevated intraocular pressure can cause peripheral vision loss and may ultimately lead to blindness.

A personal decision to make lifestyle changes is the most important step in fighting obesity. Obesity is often the result of high caloric consumption and low caloric utilization. It is for this reason that the primary treatment for obesity is to change diet and exercise habits. Use the food pyramid provided to help you choose the right foods to eat. The doctors at Iowa EyeCare recommend at lease 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day. Don’t forget to include aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise in your routine.

Obesity is increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat to the extent that ones health is negatively affected. Excessive body weight is associated with diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and many other systemic conditions. The consequence of obesity is a reduction in life expectancy by almost 7 years and unfortunately new evidence tells us that the prevalence of obesity is rising in both children and adults.

Contact Iowa EyeCare now. We have locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa.

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Obesity and the Eye