The Eyecare Trust is predicting a strong take up of its message that the public are risking their vision as a result of obesity, with 50 radio sessions already booked for National Eye Week (November 9-15).
Radio interviews will feature celebrity ambassador David Dickinson alongside Rosie Gavzey from the Eyecare Trust and Raman Sankaran from Simplyhealth, this year's National Eye Week sponsor.
The charity is highlighting the UK's obesity crisis and the fact that millions of overweight Britons are blind to the fact that their unhealthy lifestyles mean they are twice as likely to lose their sight as someone with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI).
The research revealed that just 8 per cent associate obesity with sight loss and, with 23 per cent now classed as obese, millions of people are needlessly putting themselves at risk of poor vision or vision loss.
Trust chairman Iain Anderson warned: 'Carrying excess weight causes pulmonary problems which can lead to irrevocable damage to the delicate blood vessels in the eye. A BMI of 30 or more doubles your risk of age-related macular degeneration and significantly increases your chances of developing cataracts or glaucoma.'
The National Eye Week 'See the benefit' poll found that obese people were the group least likely to visit their optician, with those with a BMI in excess of 25 most likely to believe their eyes were in a state of 'good' or 'very good' health.
Sankaran, of cash plan provider Simplyhealth, added that research revealed cost, or the issue of perceived cost, affected whether people take regular sight tests, with 75 per cent admitting to putting them off because of the price of the exam and expense of correction. Of these, two thirds are women, often the carers in the family.
Anderson added that part of the problem was that people were still not sure what they were entitled to on the NHS.
The charity is also stressing that smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and excessive alcohol consumption could dramatically increase the risk of vision loss or blindness.