Are women vain? The eyes have it
April 2nd 2010 01:32
For women confident enough to see it, glasses can be an elegant statement of self-assurance.
Scientists have produced evidence that just under 50 per cent of women are vain.
Opticians connected to the study say the result is a serious concern. It indicates that in the UK alone there are 7.5 million women living with imperfect eyesight and refusing to do anything about it.
Researcher Paul Surridge said, "What seems ridiculous is that girls would much rather damage their eyesight permanently than visit their ... optician for a quick check. Deteriorating eyesight can have a terrible effect on quality of life, causing symptoms such as headaches, a squint or pain behind the eyes. Without regular check-ups, these can lead to much more serious conditions such as glaucoma.
"Unfortunately, vanity seems to be one of the main reasons why girls don't want to go for an eye test, or wear glasses."
The research also revealed women who do have prescription glasses don't wear them as often as they should. Two-thirds said they leave them at home when going for a night on the town, 50 per cent wouldn't wear them on the date, 15 per cent won't wear them on public transport and 16 per cent take them off before meeting their boyfriend.
Of those who do wear their spectacles, half claim to feel ugly when wearing them, and 48 per cent say they over-compensate with the rest of their outfit and appearance to make themselves feel more attractive.
When Paul Surridge talks about "girls", he means women, but there is no denying the seriousness of his point. Arguably, it is indeed girls — teenagers — who are potentially the greatest victims of the social and peer-group pressure which is behind this.
The incidence of myopia, or short-sightedness, varies between races, but affects roughly half the world's population. A recent study of first-year university students in Britain found that 50.0 per cent of caucasian background and 53.4 of Asian background were myopic.
It is something which commonly develops in the early teenage years, when the need to see the class whiteboard is greatest, and when confidence to resist peer pressure is at its lowest.
dailymail.co.uk; image: theage.com.au
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