News from the AOA's Blog

In response to the Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010 report, AOA President Randolph Brooks, O.D., sent a letter emphasizing the importance the AOA places on public health.

“The AOA recognizes that obese children are at a higher risk for a number of health problems; including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis,” Dr. Brooks wrote. “As you point out, the immediate public health crisis is heightened by the fact that the complications associated with these chronic diseases are specifically related to duration of the disease process and level of control. Diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy and retinal arteriolar sclerosis/atherosclerosis are potentially blinding conditions, but also avoidable complications, of obesity. This places doctors of optometry, frontline providers of health care, in a unique position to intervene early and continuously in benefiting the eye health and general health of their pediatric patients, especially with respect to the prevention of complications arising from obesity in the child and adolescent period and beyond through adulthood.”

Dr. Brooks pledged to intensify the AOA’s efforts to better assure measurement of Body Mass Index and professional counsel by its member optometrists during child and adolescent comprehensive vision and eye health visits.

These efforts will include recommendations that optometrists providing vision assessment through the AOA’s InfantSEE® program seek to prevent early childhood obesity through promoting breastfeeding whenever possible.

Dr. Brooks also noted that efforts in heightened and integrated strategies to combat the obesity epidemic and promote necessary social changes will be possible through the AOA’s Healthy Eyes Healthy People® program.

Dr. Brooks said he would also call for integrative solutions to improve access to children’s vision and eye health examination, including increasing resources at community health centers.

The AOA Resolution Obesity in Children and Adolescents, adopted by the House of Delegates in June 2009, will lead to widespread clinical care and prevention through the strategic increased activities and realignment of the AOA Clinical and Practice Advancement Group, said Dr. Brooks.

“In doing so, the AOA intends to demonstrate itself as an important partner to your Office of the Surgeon General, both in responding to and helping solve this far-reaching public health obesity crisis that you have identified. The AOA believes that a connection to highly accessible doctors of optometry should figure prominently in public health policies that serve to mobilize partners, strengthen the capacity of the public health workforce and increase public health knowledge of obesity among providers, payers and the public.”