People are eating themselves blind

The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) is urging people to drastically reduce their sugar intake in order to avoid potential blindness. 

Saturday 14 November is World Diabetes Day and the ASO is reminding people right across Australia that diabetes, and indeed blindness due to diabetes, is not only treatable but preventable.

Nearly one in 10 Australians are impacted by diabetes, and diabetes-related eye disease is the leading cause of blindness among working age adults in this country. 

Shockingly, the longer you suffer from diabetes, the more likely you are to develop damage to the retina. 

“People are eating themselves blind. Of all the consequences of eating too much sugar, blindness is probably the one that least springs to mind… yet it is one of the most debilitating,” said Australian of the year and leading opthalmologist Dr James Muecke.

“Our sugar-laden diet is responsible for more disease and death than inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined,” Dr Muecke said.

Governments also need to take action to reduce our over-consumption of sugar. 

As far back as 2016, the ASO called for the Australian Government to introduce a sugar tax on soft drinks in order to help curb Australia’s spiralling epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes (and the life-changing and life-threatening complications of diabetes). 

Then President of the ASO, Dr Michael Steiner, said: “A sugar tax is one way we can make an impact. What we must do is begin to put structures in place to create an environment that’s conducive to preventative healthcare.” 

Dr Muecke was awarded Australian of the Year at the start of 2020 for his work in fighting blindness in poor communities, particularly blindness caused by type 2 diabetes… and then COVID-19 struck. 

While Dr Muecke’s initial intentions were to use his position as Australian of the Year to help promote a healthier lifestyle (including less sugar, less type 2 diabetes and less diabetes-related blindness), in true 2020-style the very opposite occurred. 

However, with the vast majority of Australians now over the worst of the potential COVID-19 catastrophe, the ASO believes that it isn’t too late for Dr Muecke to use his position to remind people of just how much their health – and their sight – is impacted by what they eat.

”Minimising your intake of sugar and highly processed foods, which also helps to control your blood pressure, can dramatically reduce the risk of developing diabetes-related blindness or slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy once established,” said Dr Muecke.

It is also vitally important that people who suffer from diabetes have regular eye checks. 

Do you suffer from type 2 diabetes? Are you worried about losing your vision?

3 comments

Quote from OP: "It is also vitally important that people who suffer from diabetes have regular eye checks." 

Absolutely...the eye diseases include diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma. 

Yes well good luck with that. People are digging their graves with their teeth and don't seem too worried by it. Losing sight would be the least of their worries.

If they are going to put a sugar tax on cool drinks they should put one on some of the artificial sweeteners.

Some of them are as / more dangerous than sugar. The artificial sweetener used in Diet Cola - Aspartane - has been proved to cause Cancer on the kidneys. I know a lady who was told by more than one specialist that they call it

"Black Death". Patients have to have one kidney removed or in some cases the Cancer removed from where it is attached.

If only the Cancer is removed the kidney is permanently damaged as it is badly bruised so they usually recommend kidney removal. Fortunately only one kidney is usually affected. Patients are then told no alcohol or soft drink at all.

3 comments



To make a comment, please register or login

Preview your comment