Forget the reams of bullshit space ace, you are still a total w.nker.

Your mummy and daddy think you are a w.nker too as they won't take you
for an eye test because they don't believe a word you say (pretty smart
they must be).

Why don't you start a thread titled "am I myopic because I play too
much with my penis?"

Or what about "am I a pseudomyope because my penis is so small that I
can only think about playing with it?"

You should have listened to your mother when you were younger.

dr grant

Dear Ace,

Subject: You are absolutly correct.

Yes, it is true that you can avoid getting into
nearsighedness (a negative refractive state
of the natural eye) -- but it does take
strong personal fortitude to do it.

Given the "reaction" of these ODs, you have
no choice but to teach youself how to do it -- before
you develop stair-case myopia from that over-prescribed
minus.

Here are some more statistics to "make your case".

Just remeber -- even the ODs are "waking up"
to the need for the plus -- has have their
own children in that plus as soon as
their refractive state moves from slight
plut -- to minus.  They know the consequences
of NOT using the plus for preveniton.  See:

www.chinamyopia.org

It is time we allign ouselves with Steve Leung ODs
leadership on this issue.

Here are the statistics and discussion.

Best,

Otis

++++++++++

          MYOPIA PREVALENCE IS ALWAYS HIGHER THAN 90 PERCENT
                    FOR TAIWAN MEDICAL STUDENTS

Re: Changes in ocular refraction and its components
   among medical students - a 5-year longitudinal study", Optom.
   Vis.  Sci., 73:495-498, 1996) found that in a study of 345
   National Taiwan University medical students, the myopia
   prevalence increased from 92.8% to 95.8%!  over the five year
   period.

                      ******************

1)  In Singapore, the vision of 421,116 males between the ages of
   15 and 25 was examined.  In 1974-84, 26.3% were myopic; in
   1987-91, 43.3% were myopic.  Both the prevalence and severity
   of myopia were higher as the level of education increased.
   The prevalence rate was 15.4% in males with no formal
   education and increased steadily through the education levels
   to reach 65.1% among the university graduates in 1987-91.  The
   authors state that their findings confirm indications from
   other sources that the association between the prevalence and
   severity of myopia and education attainment is real (M.T.
   Tay, K.G.  Au Eong, C.Y.  Ng and M.K.  Lim, "Myopia and
   Educational Attainment in 421,116 Young Singaporean Males,"
   Ann Acad Med Singapore, 1992, Nov;21(6):785-91).

2)  Regarding the prevalence of myopia in Asian countries, Lam and
   Goh (Lam, C.S.  and Goh, W.S., "The incidence of refractive
   errors among schoolchildren in Hong Kong in relationship with
   the optical components", Clin.  Exp.  Optom., 74:97-103, 1991)
   found that in 383 school children from ages 6 to 17 years, the
   prevalence of myopia increased from 30% at ages 6-7 years, to
   70% at ages 16-17 years.

3)  Lam and Yap (Lam, C.S.  and Yap, M.  "Ocular dimensions and
   refraction in Chinese Orientals", Proc.  Int.  Soc.  Eye Res.,
   6:121, 1990) found that in a group of optometry students at
   The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the prevalence of myopia
   was 75% in females and 69% in males.

4)  Goh and Lam (Goh, W.S.  and Lam, C.S., "Changes in refractive
   trends and optical components of Hong Kong Chinese aged 19-39
   years," Ophthal.  Physiol.  Opt., 14:378-382, 1994) found that
   in 2000 first-year students at the University of Hong Kong,
   the prevalence of myopia was 87.5%.

5)  Lin et al (Lin, L.-K, Chen, C.J., Hung, P.T., and Ko, L.S.,
   "National- wide survey of myopia among schoolchildren in
   Taiwan, Acta Ophthalmol.", 185:29-33, 1988) found that in a
   national survey of children in Taiwan, the prevalence of
   myopia was over 70%.

6)  Lin et al (Lin, L.K., Shih, Y.F., Lee, Y.C., Hung, P.T., and
   Hou, P.K., " Changes in ocular refraction and its components
   among medical students - a 5-year longitudinal study", Optom.
   Vis.  Sci., 73:495-498, 1996) found that in a study of 345
   National Taiwan University medical students, the myopia
   prevalence increased from 92.8% to 95.8%!  over the five year
   period.

7)  A recent study in Hong Kong showed what other studies have
   shown - wearing less than a full correction will slow the
   progress of the myopia.  Children selected for the study were
   between the ages of 9 and 12.  All were nearsighted, with 1.00
   to 5.00 D of myopia.  The children were separated into three
   groups.  Each group was given a different type of eyeglasses
   to wear for the two-year period of the study.  The first group
   wore single vision lenses with a full correction; the second
   group wore progressive lenses with a +1.50 add; the third
   group wore progressive lenses with a +2.00 add.  All children
   were examined at 6-month intervals to check the progression of
   their myopia.  Sixty-eight children completed the study.  As
   expected, more undercorrection meant slower myopia
   progression.

Minus vision lenses:                - 1.23 D increase (2 years)
Progressive lenses with +1.50 add:  - 0.76 D increase (2 years)
Progressive lenses with +2.00 add:  - 0.66 D increase (2 years)

Source:  Leung JT, Brown B.  Progression of myopia in Hong Kong
Chinese schoolchildren is slowed by wearing progressive
lenses.  Optom Vis Sci 1999; 76:346, 354.  Published 10/07/00.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

                                    December 6, 2000

By Liu Shao-hua
Staff reporter
Taipei Times

Subject:   Myopia Increases Among Children

    One of every five children in the first grade in Taiwan's
elementary schools is myopic (nearsighted).  The proportion of
myopics in this group has increased from 12.1 percent in 1995 to
20.4 percent this year, according to the results of a survey
released by the Department of Health yesterday.

    The results also show that 60.7 percent of sixth graders in
elementary schools, 80.7 percent of third graders in junior high
schools, and 84.2 percent of third graders in senior high schools
suffer from myopia.  In addition, the number of seriously myopic
children is also on the rise.  The proportion of seriously myopic
children among sixth graders in elementary schools has increased
from 2 percent five years ago to 2.4 percent this year.

    Serious myopia is defined as exceeding 600 degrees (6
diopters).  Anything over 25 degrees (0.25 diopters) is myopia.
Normal eyesight is zero degrees.

    "We appeal for reductions to children's work load in schools
and the amelioration of visual environments in daily life," said
Chen Tzay-jinn, director-general of the health promotion bureau,
under the health department.

    The survey was conducted by the department, in cooperation
with National Taiwan University and its hospital, and involved a
sample of 12,000 students from four million students between the
ages of 7 and 18 nationwide.  Myopia has been on the increase in
Taiwan ever since the first myopia survey in 1983.  The department
manages the survey every four or five years.

    The growth of nearsightedness among young children is thought
to result from learning to read very young and using computers
very young, Chen pointed out.

    Last year, the department and the Ministry of Education
delivered official documents to kindergartens nationwide demanding
that children not be taught to read or use computers too early.
"But many teachers and parents protested against this appeal,"
said the department officials.    "They questioned exactly what they
were permitted to teach if reading was not allowed."

    "We do hope that parents and teachers can heighten their
awareness of myopia and understand that early learning does not
guarantee students' performance in the future, but it does bear a
strong correlation to defects in vision," Chen said.  The
department also appealed for children under the age of 10 not to
be taught how to use computers.

    Senior high school students suffer the highest rates of
nearsightedness, at over 84 percent.  "It reached a plateau five
years ago and has not changed this year.  But their myopia has
become more serious," Chen said.  According to the survey, 20
percent of third graders in senior high schools are seriously
nearsighted.

    Many people thought operations could cure myopia.    "But the
superficial improvement of vision does not better the health of
the eye.  More importantly, it might reduce people's awareness of
other problems associated with nearsightedness, apart from visual
ones," said Lin Lung-kuang, ophthalmology professor at National
Taiwan University.  "Myopia cannot be cured.  We have to prevent
children from becoming nearsighted.  Don't let them use their
vision too early," Lin urged.

    Because of the public's lack of awareness of myopia, the
department estimated its prevalence would continue to grow.
"Singapore resembles Taiwan in many respects and the extent of its
myopia problem might serve as a warning for us," Chen said.

Your post didn't specify needing glasses or not.  You just flat claimed
that there are more myopes than hyperopes in the world, something that
your own study contradicts (along with just about every one in the
universe).

20/20 is the standard for normal vision and 20/15

Actually, among healthy adults, 20/15 should be the standard, because
20/15 is what most people get. If I recall, your "proof" on this was to
quote an obvious layperson from Yahoo.  How about a real study for proof?

I have two remote controlled projectors each with several different
20/20 and 20/15 lines, both of which can also present single letters,
numbers, tumbling Es, Landolt rings, and pictures in any order I chose.
I also have a paper Snellen for a backup. And yes, all calibrated
properly for the test distances.