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Eye protection exercises: Fake science or eyesight saving tool?Posted by Eric Mu, October 14, 2008 1:12 PM
 The Beijing News October 14, 2008 In 1972 "eye protection exercises" (眼保健操) were introduced to schools across the entire nation to combat the mounting rate of myopia. The exercises comprise a set of massage moves supposedly based on the Chinese traditional medicine theory of 'channels', the same basis for acupuncture and reflexology. If you believe the theory, pressing the right channels with your fingers alleviates eye strains and prevents short-sightedness. Today's The Beijing News printed a big photo showing pupils in Xisi North Fourth Alley Elementary school showcasing the moves of a modified set of "eye protection exercises" that is on trial in Beijing before rolling out to other provinces. According to the newspaper article, a very important standard to evaluate the teacher's work is the rate at which their students are found to develop short-sightedness. Which may explain why the teachers are keeping a very close eye on their pupils to make sure that they do the "eye exercises" properly. One teacher was quoted as saying that "most moves can be seen and monitored, but the "grab the land with your toes" section can not be seen, so you have no way to know if they are really doing it." The "grab the land" moves are done with the feet; see this picture. In each class, a model student was assigned to demonstrate the right moves to the rest of the students, while teachers corrected the students who could not do it in the right way. But sometimes, even the teachers got confused. "I am not very sure about the exact location of the Fengchi channel (风池穴)" said one teacher. Despite the videos and graphic guidance they have, the teacher hoped she could get more specific instructions. For many people, the "eye exercises" are a nostalgic memory of school days, but they are attacked by skeptics as nothing but pseudoscience. The most prominent among them, Fang Zhouzi, is a science activist who made his reputation for exposing academic fraud and corruption. Fang has argued that there is no clinical or statistical evidence showing that the "eye exercises" have any effect on reducing myopia rates. Instead, they increase the chance of eye infection. Critics also charge that the Ministry of Education are making a profit from frequently modifying the moves of the "exercises" and forcing schools to buy tapes and video disks of the new versions.  Eye exercises Links and Sources
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Comments on Eye protection exercises: Fake science or eyesight saving tool?
Thanks for the article. I've always wondered about these eye exercises in the school but I've never heard of a teacher being evaluated by their students' eyesight. Tough luck, and I'm glad I don't have to worry about it.
From what I see here in Xinjiang, these exercises are done not just once, but multiple times a day. If it is, in fact, harmful for the eyes, then there are a lot of students here in China who are in trouble!
doubt its science, every student does that in school but they all end up wearing a goggle.
Yeah, I had that between 3rd grade and 6th grade. The moves did not seem to have any effects, because I think my eyes were never too stressed in grades school. Yet I started wearing specs from 7th grade, after lying in bed reading romantic novels for a whole summer vacation....
Now I am 32, and I still use those moves when my eyes are tired. They actually help, temporarily at least.
If it is just pseudoscience it is already great, for sure many diseases are psychosomatics, but of course if it can causes eye infection it must be reviewed, probably it is possible to manage exercises that can avoid these infections and keep the massages.
Elder Jones - São Paulo, Brazil.
What a wasted opportunity!
Imagine an actual study which compared rates of "eye problems" before these exercises and after. That data would be a truly valuable gift to future generations of Chinese children, and to humanity as a whole.
But instead, all that will happen is a bunch of bullshit statistics will be generated to "prove" that the exercises "helped".
How Chinese, to take a perfect opportunity, and totally waste it.
pseudoscience or not, the point is to wash their hands first
after about junior 1 almost no one really does their eye exercises unless the teacher is standing in front of them watching really closely.
anyone remember a LONG time ago, maybe close to ten years ago, there was a song going around in clubs that featured that inimitable high-pitched voice of the eye exercize lady?
It helps if you walk backwards while doing the exercises...
"According to the newspaper article, a very important standard to evaluate the teacher's work is the rate at which their students are found to develop short-sightedness."
I know it's just a typo, but it was unintentionally hilarious!
My grandmother still tells me to do these.
Come on, eye protection exercises do not touch the eye directly, it only presses some points or regions arroud the eyes. Although people really don't know whether eye protection exercises works or not, but when you made it, you eyes and brain will feel release immediately. Although I left school many years, I still do such thing when my eyes feel tired. Why not have a try, of course you can wash you hands beforhand.