Study: Boomers concerned about vision loss, not doing much about it

One of the most tell-tale signs of aging is fading eyesight, but despite the importance of vision, many baby boomers are not doing all they can to preserve their own. A recent study by the Ocular Nutrition Society (ONS) found that almost half of the people they surveyed do not typically have an eye exam each year, and many more are unaware of the many nutrients available to help their vision.

The fact that such a large proportion of the respondents said that eye health was one of their biggest concerns is especially surprising when its compared to other health issues. The survey revealed that 55 percent are concerned about vision loss, which which ranked behind only life-threatening concerns such as heart disease (60 percent) and cancer (65 percent).

There are a number of reasons why boomers may not be doing more to prevent vision loss, but perhaps the most common is that it is hard to notice it once it starts.

"While there are a variety of potential factors, one possible reason baby boomers may neglect their eyes is because vision problems are typically painless and slow to develop," Jeffrey Anshel, president of the ONS, told The Huffington Post.

In addition to not getting regular eye exams, the study also revealed that boomers are unlikely to know about what nutrients can best benefit their vision. According to the ONS, nearly 60 percent were unaware of the impact omega 3 fatty acids can have and 66 percent did not know that lutein can help as well.

Of course, knowing about the nutrients and actually eating them are two different things. According to the American Optometric Association, foods such as kale, spinach, green beans and broccoli all contain high levels of lutein and Zeaxanthin, which can help stave off age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.