The Myopia Boom

The myopia boom

Short-sightedness is reaching epidemic proportions. Some scientists think they have found a reason why.
Elie Dolgin
18 March 2015
Nature - International Weekly Journal of Science

This article discusses recent research on myopia.  It also brings up the possible benefit of the use of 10 000 lux lamps indoors, given the potential role of some aspect of natural sunlight in controlling myopia.  The role of bright light is unclear, but it seems to be related to myopia in animal studies.

From the article:

"Based on epidemiological studies, Ian Morgan, a myopia researcher at the Australian National University in Canberra, estimates that children need to spend around three hours per day under light levels of at least 10,000 lux to be protected against myopia. This is about the level experienced by someone under a shady tree, wearing sunglasses, on a bright summer day. (An overcast day can provide less than 10,000 lux and a well-lit office or classroom is usually no more than 500 lux.) Three or more hours of daily outdoor time is already the norm for children in Morgan's native Australia, where only around 30% of 17-year-olds are myopic. But in many parts of the world — including the United States, Europe and East Asia — children are often outside for only one or two hours."

Link:

http://www.nature.com/news/the-myopia-boom-1.17120