LAS VEGAS—Health and fitness, including eye health, was a major theme of last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held here. VMail surveyed the massive, week-long show, where vendors exhibited an array of products designed to help consumers measure and monitor their own biometric data and promote wellness alongside the latest smart TVs, wireless devices, mobile apps, audio systems and video cameras.

CES featured more than 215 exhibitors from health and fitness industries and more than 27,000 net square feet of exhibit space, a nearly 25 percent growth in health and fitness technology over last year’s show, according to CES. Visitors attended educational sessions in the Digital Health Summit conference track and flocked to the FitnessTech and Digital Health Summit TechZones to see the newest products, which ranged from wireless connected devices to mobile apps to kiosks where consumers can monitor their heart rate, temperature and other vital signs and then share the data with health care professionals during a remote consultation.

The Vision Council was on hand to help digital device users protect their eyes from digital eye strain, a growing health concern for avid electronic consumers. The organization’s booth featured the latest digital device accessories, as well as new computer eyewear technology from its members. Visitors to the Vision Council booth could also learn about the key findings from the Council’s recent digital eye strain report, Screens, Phones, Tablets and More: Keeping Your Eyes Safe in a Digital Age.

“Technology is taking us to fascinating places and CES is an opportune time to see what innovation will look like in 2013,” said Ed Greene, CEO of The Vision Council. “As the largest trade show of consumer electronics, CES gives us a platform to reinforce safe eye behavior among those adults and children who most frequently use consumer electronics. We are especially excited to showcase computer eyewear and other eyewear solutions that can help to prevent the risk of digital eye strain.”

Justin Bazan, OD, a medical adviser to The Vision Council, participated on a Digital Health Summit Panel on Thursday. He was joined by experts from ClearSounds Communications, Valencell, Inc., hi HealthInnovations and the Digital Health Journal to discuss “Health Tech from the Neck Up.” The 45-minute session explored digital health innovations for hearing loss, vision loss and neuroscience and discuss how these technology solutions are being perfected to address key needs in our society.

Justin Bazan, OD, holds a pair of computer glasses to make a point about digital eyestrain during a seminar called “Health Tech from the Neck Up,” part of the Digital Health conference track.

Shannon Toher and Raanan Naftalovich of The Vision Council greet CES visitors and tell them how to combat digital eyestrain.


Bazan noted that the increasing use of smart phones, tablets and other digital devices among young people is resulting in the earlier onset of presbyopia. “It used to be that you’d need reading glasses starting at about age 45, but now that’s shifting to 30,” said Bazan.

In another panel discussion, Ami Dror of XPand 3D, Jim Sheedy, OD of Pacific University and Michael Duenas, OD of the American Optometric Association explored the clinical aspects of 3D vision.

Other new eyewear technology sighted at CES included the latest 3D glasses, eye tracking systems for controlling computers and wearable computers featuring head-mounted displays.

Attendees watch a huge 3D video display screen at the LG booth.