Vision Problems Are Not Genetic

There was a controlled study conducted on a group of Inuit
families in Barrow, Alaska, years ago by a very respected group
of eye doctors. It evaluated the relation between genetics and
the environment in bad vision.

It was an ideal setting in that parents and grandparents had
little or no formal education, while children regularly attended
public school.

The study results showed that the uneducated parents and
grandparents had little or no form of myopia (nearsightedness),
while nearly 58% of the children attending school were diagnosed
as myopic.

A genetic malfunction increase of 58% over one generation would
be impossible. The researchers came to the conclusion that the
stress put upon the eyes while performing continuous near-point
work in the classroom was causing myopia among the children.

--Young et al. 1969. American Journal of Optometry and Archives
of American Academy of Optometry

So what causes nearsightedness if it's not genetic? Science has
also answered this question.

It's a condition called near-point stress. Near-point stress is
what your eyes experience when you focus on anything close to
you: computers, books, television, etc.

Focusing up close is not natural to your eyes. Your eyes are
in a relaxed state when they are looking at a distance and
focusing up close puts a stress on them.

The American Optometric Association identifies "near-point stress"
as being one of the leading causes of nearsightedness and its
progression.

I find this amazing, considering many doctors will
still tell you that nearsightedness is solely a genetic
condition.