Your health

A pass on glasses

Many children get their first pair of eyeglasses after a vision screening in elementary school. At first, they might only need to wear them to see the blackboard. But their eyes get worse pretty quickly, and they wind up needing to wear their glasses all the time.

Now, a gel medication shows promise in slowing the progression of nearsightedness, according to a study reported in the Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

For the study, myopic kids were treated with either pirenzepine gel or a placebo. Both groups got more nearsighted during the two-year period, but the progression was slower in the treated group. Side effects included eye irritation and mild dilation of the pupil.

A safe treatment to put the brakes on myopia could keep many kids from needing glasses full time. But more research on long-term effects is needed before the drug is recommended for children, the study's authors said.

The most important meal

Dietitian Elizabeth Somer, author of "10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet" (McGraw Hill, $16.95) went on "The View" to name names about the best foods for breakfast. In case you missed it, here are some ideas for your grocery list:

Best cereal: It should be 100 percent whole grain, low sugar and have 5 or more grams of fiber. Old standbys oatmeal and Shredded Wheat are easy to find and inexpensive. Other choices include Kashi Autumn Wheat and Nature's Path Organic Heritage Os.

Best eggs: Gold Circle Farm Eggs with DHA are fortified with an algae-based omega-3 fat, and have a buttery flavor and bright color.

Best meat: Surprise! Bob Evans Canadian bacon gets the nod here, with about a third of calories and less fat and cholesterol than regular bacon. Most turkey bacon has as much fat and calories as regular bacon plus a ton of salt, but Somer likes Jennie-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon.

Best juice: 100 percent orange, grapefruit or prune. Avoid concentrated pear, white grape or apple juice.