Body size measures are associated with myopia in young people
A review found associations between overweight, obesity and myopia, but snapshot studies cannot establish which came first or whether body size contributes to the eye condition.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The pooled analyses linked overweight and obesity with higher odds of myopia, but results differed across study subgroups and measurement approaches. Because the evidence was cross-sectional, it cannot show that body size caused myopia or preceded it. The review does not establish that changing weight would prevent or improve myopia.
The studies were cross-sectional, and results showed substantial inconsistency. The abstract does not identify the reference categories for its pooled odds ratios, limiting interpretation of the numerical comparisons.
A broad age range
Although the review is framed around children and adolescents, its eligibility range extended into young adulthood. That breadth matters because subgroup results differed by age, alongside geography, sample characteristics and the methods used to assess vision.
Accounting for other influences
Results were inconsistent across subgroups defined by adjustment for other variables, including parental myopia, outdoor time and near work. The abstract therefore supports a cautious association, without isolating an independent causal role for body size.
The original publication
Association of anthropometric parameter with myopia in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Guan Z, Luo Y, Liu H et al.
Int J Obes (Lond) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40914765
- Record checked
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