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PARIS -- Snubbing the outdoors for books, video games and TV is thereason up to nine in 10 school-leavers in big East Asian cities arenear-sighted, according to a study published on Friday. Neither genes nor the mere increase in activities like reading andwriting is to blame, the researchers suggest, but a simple lack ofsunlight. Exposure to the sun's rays is believed to stimulate production ofthe chemical dopamine, which in turn stops the eyeball from growingelongated and distorting the focus of light entering the eye. It's pretty clear that it is bright light stimulating dopaminerelease which prevents myopia, researcher Ian Morgan of theAustralian National University told AFP of the findings publishedin The Lancet medical journal. Yet the average primary school pupil in Singapore, where up to ninein ten young adults are myopic, spent only about 30 minutesoutdoors every day compared to three hours for children inAustralia where the myopia prevalence among children of Europeanorigin is about 10 percent. The figure in Britain was about 30 to 40 percent and in Africa virtually none in the range of two to three percent,according to Morgan. More than other groups, children in East Asia basically go toschool, they don't go outside at school, they go home and they stayinside. They study and they watch television, the scientist said. The most myopic school-leavers in the world are to be found incities in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and SouthKorea, where between 80 and 90 percent were affected. Of these, 10 to 20 percent had a condition called high myopia,which can lead to blindness. Most of what we've seen in East Asia is due to the environment,it is not genetic, said Morgan, contrary to the common belief 50years ago. The researchers, collating the findings of studies from around theworld, stressed that being a bookworm or computer geek does not initself put you at risk. As long as they get outside it doesn't seem to matter how muchstudy they do, explained Morgan. There are some kids who study hard and get outside and play hardand they are generally fine. The ones who are at major risk are theones who study hard and don't get outside. The scientist said children who spent two to three hours outsideevery day were probably reasonably safe. This could includetime spent on the playground and walking to and from school. The amount of time they spend on computer games, watchingtelevision can be a contributing factor. As far as we can tell itis not harmful in itself, but if it is a substitute for gettingoutside, then it is, said Morgan. He said ways must be found to get children to spend more time inreasonably bright daylight without compromising their schooling. It is going to require some sort of structural change in the waya child's time is organized in East Asia because there is so muchcommitment to schooling and there is also a habit of taking a napat lunchtime, which is from our perspective prime myopia preventiontime. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Thermal Transfer Overprinter Manufacturer , Label Rewinding Machine, and more. For more , please visit Hot Foil Printer today!
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