Comments on: Orthodox Myopia Research: Blind Alleys and No Cure – 4. Warring Factions – Nature vs. Nurture In Myopia Research

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Sat, 06 May 2017 13:14:25 +0000

In reply to Nancy. Look forward to reading the next instalment!

By: Doug Marsh

Doug Marsh — Sat, 06 May 2017 01:26:56 +0000

In reply to Nancy. Yes, Nancy, Section 5 of my current article will detail Dr. Bates' successes with schoolchildren as reported in the New York Medical Journal.

By: Doug Marsh

Doug Marsh — Sat, 06 May 2017 01:20:51 +0000

In reply to Lawrence. Thanks, Lawrence. I appreciate your positive feedback!

By: Doug Marsh

Doug Marsh — Sat, 06 May 2017 01:16:26 +0000

In reply to Lawrence. These types of entrenched "us vs. them" clashes tend to go on in other sciences. (I've seen battles in sports biomechanics research too.) The endless debates go on behind the scenes from the general public. Young researchers simply follow the lead of their mentors and have nothing new to offer. Meanwhile, the theorists don't concern themselves in the least with the standard "treatment" of prescribing (over-prescribing!) minus lenses. Do they really think that prescribing glasses simply keeps up with progressive myopia? I beg to differ. Too many young people end up like this unfortunate woman.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 05 May 2017 17:59:26 +0000

Lawrence, I agree about “Is it A or B?” without looking for any other possibilities. I’ve heard of schools scheduling in more recess time outdoors for kids to give them more natural light, hoping to combat the growing problem of childhood myopia. I remember reading about a school planned to be built in China, where the myopia problem is enormous, with a glass roof so the kids would be exposed to natural light all day long. I’m not aware of any current studies that show improvement with natural methods, just lots of individual anecdotal cases. Bates’ work with schoolchildren in NYC 100 years ago is a rich source of data, and everyone discounts it. Maybe we’ll hear more on this soon from Doug’s articles.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Fri, 05 May 2017 13:16:00 +0000

Great article, by the way!

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Fri, 05 May 2017 13:14:56 +0000

It’s always interesting when the argument becomes so entrenched between A as opposed to B, and visa versa, that C to Z are not even considered! This is such a narrow argument – for example, there’s an initial assumption that the education system is a non-negotiable, and the argument flows from there. Perhaps part of the problem is the system itself, kids being forced into an unnatural learning environment? The stress and strain that causes….