Poor diet and tobacco to double sight problems in next 25 years

Published on Tuesday 2 September 2008 22:27

THE number of Scots with sight problems is expected to double in the next 25 years, campaigners warned yesterday.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland (RNIB) predicts the total number of people with some kind of visual impairment will rise to 400,000 in the coming decades.

While this would be partly due to the ageing population, it also blamed high rates of diabetes, obesity, smoking and poor health, which can contribute to sight loss.

The charity has launched a new drive – the Scottish Vision Strategy – to raise public awareness among those at risk of losing their sight because of poor health. While it said Scotland was leading the way in many eye-care services, such as free eye examinations, the charity warned that the country could still face a sight loss "time bomb".

John Legg, director of RNIB Scotland, said its strategy to raise awareness of eye health and improve services could make a lasting difference.

"We have here a real opportunity to secure world-class services over the next five years," he said. "International research has shown there is a four-fold return on investment in early eye-care intervention."

Smoking and obesity can double the risk of sight loss – Scotland has the second-highest levels of obesity in the developed world, after the US, and high rates of smoking.

Sight problems also increase with age. It is predicted that 40 per cent of the population will be over 50 by 2021.

Shona Robison, the public health minister, said Scotland has already made good progress in improving eye-care services.

But she added: "Too many people in Scotland are still not fully aware of the impact their lifestyles and health conditions can have on their sight, with too many suffering sight loss that could have been avoided through earlier detection or treatment."