At Myopia Focus, we are dedicated to raising awareness about myopia and providing scientifically backed information on its management. Recently, we sent an open letter to the producers of This Morning to address our concerns regarding a segment on "eye yoga" that aired on their show. The segment, hosted by Ben Shepherd and Cat Deeley with guest Jess Parkinson, suggested that eye yoga could enhance vision and reduce reliance on corrective lenses. This claim is not supported by scientific evidence, and we felt compelled to address the inaccuracies and provide clarity.
The Problems with the Feature
The segment on This Morning presented eye yoga as a potential solution for myopia, implying that it could significantly improve vision. However, eye exercises do not address the primary underlying cause of the most prominent form of myopia – axial myopia. Axial myopia is caused by the elongation of the eyeball, and no amount of exercise can reduce this growth. While eye yoga might help alleviate eye strain and promote relaxation, it does not correct refractive errors such as myopia, hypermetropia, or astigmatism.
The Wider Impact
The segment on This Morning directly led to a more misleading article published in The Mirror, which made unsubstantiated claims such as:
"Surprising evidence backing its potential to drastically enhance vision."
"Multiple studies have confirmed that practising eye yoga regularly can result in noticeable improvements in myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism, thus enabling many to depend less on glasses or contacts."
"Eye yoga could potentially slow down the natural ageing process of visual function."
These statements are not supported by scientific research and are damaging to our mission. They propagate false hope and divert attention from proven methods of managing myopia, making our work and the work of eye care professionals even more challenging.
Why Does It Matter?
Myopia is a growing global problem, affecting over 1.9 billion people worldwide, with numbers expected to rise to 5 billion by 2050. High myopia significantly increases the risk of severe eye conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic maculopathy. Uncorrected myopia is the leading cause of vision impairment and is associated with a global loss of productivity estimated at nearly £200 billion annually.
There are scientifically backed solutions to manage myopia effectively, such as specialised contact lenses, orthokeratology, atropine eye drops, and increasing outdoor activities. However, public awareness of these interventions remains low due to a combination of factors such as misunderstanding of what myopia really is, pseudo-scientific claims, and the lack of an easy to explain "magic bullet" cure.
The Scientific Truth and Evidence – What Parents Really Need to Know
In children, eyeball growth is a natural process and cannot be completely stopped. However, there are evidence-based interventions that can help inhibit the triggers of excessive eyeball growth.
These methods have been proven to slow myopia progression and reduce the risk of severe eye-related complications.
Passion and Commitment to Eye Health
At Myopia Focus, we are passionate about improving outcomes for individuals with myopia, particularly children. Our mission to raise awareness is challenging because myopia is not an "exciting" subject; it lacks a miracle cure and needs to be tackled during childhood, despite the fact it primarily affecting individuals in later adulthood.
Request for Right of Reply
We felt that it was important to request the opportunity to address these points on This Morning. We have offered our our experts, Jason Higginbotham, Dr. Neema Ghorbani Mojarrad and Emily J Patterson from Myopia Focus, and myself, Richard Kadri-Langford, co-founder and a parent of myopic children, to provide accurate, evidence-based information on myopia management. Our goal is to correct the misinformation and ensure your audience receives reliable guidance on eye health.
Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to your response and hope to collaborate in providing your viewers with the most accurate information on myopia and its management.
For more information, you can read our full open letter [here].
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