CHERYL LADD EDUCATES CONSUMERS ABOUT TOP HEALTH CONCERN 
  DURING PRESBYOPIA AWARENESS MONTH


  Varilux Boomer Watch(tm) Survey Finds 66
  Percent of Boomers Concerned About Changing 
  Vision

  DALLAS, Texas (April 1, 2001) - April is Presbyopia 
  Awareness Month and former Charlie's Angel Cheryl Ladd 
  is teaming up with Varilux® progressive lenses to
  educate baby boomers across the country about this
  extremely common eye condition that affects over 
  100 million adults.  

  Presbyopia (pronounced PREZ-bee-OH-pee-uh) is the 
  diminishing ability to focus on objects close-up 
  and many boomers in their 40s and 50s, like Ladd, 
  are beginning to notice its telltale signs.  When 
  Ladd was working on a TV sitcom last year, she 
  noticed that the words on the script seemed fuzzy 
  and unreadable.  She found she couldn't hold the 
  pages far enough away from her face to bring the 
  print in focus, and after several similar experiences
  with menus and newspapers, she decided it was time 
  to visit her eye doctor. 

  "My eye doctor explained to me that eventually, 
  everybody gets presbyopia - it's inevitable," said Ladd.
  "My whole generation is experiencing the signs of this 
  eye condition, but most don't know what is happening to 
  them.  You can't prevent presbyopia and you can't reverse 
  it, but with the technology available today, there's 
  no reason this condition should come between you and
  the lifestyle you're used to." 

  REDUCED VISION A TOP BOOMER HEALTH CONCERN
  Just how concerned are baby boomers about presbyopia?  
  Sixty-six percent of baby boomers cited reduced vision 
  as a top health concern (second only to heart disease)
  in the first annual Boomer Watch(tm) survey, sponsored by 
  progressive eyeglass lens manufacturer Varilux.  The 
  nationwide survey queried more than 1,000 boomers to 
  offer an in-depth look at how boomers see the world.  
  And while 71 percent of older boomers (ages 46 to 55) 
  and 41 percent of younger boomers (ages 37 to 45) said
  that changing vision has impacted some of their activities,
  more than 75 percent of all boomers surveyed said they are 
  not familiar with the condition called presbyopia. 

  "Baby boomers are in denial - they remember when their 
  parents started having difficulty reading and they can't 
  believe its happening to them," said optometrist 
  Dr. Rodney Tahran.  "Their parents turned to reading
  glasses or bifocals and, for many boomers, the thought 
  of these vanity-crushing alternatives prevents them 
  from seeking a more advanced treatment option from 
  an eye care practitioner."

  A BOOMER WATCH DISCOVERY - 
  THE LASER SURGERY MISCONCEPTION
  Another key Varilux Boomer Watch finding revealed 
  that more than 56 percent of boomers surveyed said they
  would consider having laser eye surgery.  Many people 
  believe that any eye condition can be cured with the aid 
  of surgery, but despite many advances in medical science,
  presbyopia is still unavoidable.  Currently, there is no 
  approved surgical alternative to correct or prevent 
  presbyopia.

  "Whether or not you've had eye surgery in the past, 
  ultimately, the gradual affects of presbyopia will set
  in and you will need corrective eyewear by your 
  mid-forties," said Dr. Tahran. 

  FOCUSING ON A SOLUTION FOR PRESBYOPIA
  Although surgery is not a solution for presbyopia, it 
  can be corrected with proper diagnosis and corrective 
  lenses. In the past, presbyopes relied on vanity-crushing 
  bifocals or reading glasses, but Dr. Tahran says that 
  progressive lenses are becoming a more popular alternative.  
  Progressive lenses offer wearers one continuous field of 
  vision to see clearly at all distances.  And, according to 
  Varilux Boomer Watch, more than half of boomers surveyed 
  said they would consider trying progressive lenses to help
  correct their changing vision. 

  "Today's active boomers demand a solution that won't 
  compromise their life or their look," said Ladd.  
  "With Varilux progressive lenses, I never have to take 
  my glasses off and I can see near, far and everything in
  between with just one pair of lenses.  And my glasses 
  don't have the conspicuous bifocal line or the annoying 
  'jumps' in vision."
  
  "Baby boomers have very high standards for healthcare
  and they spend time investigating the options available,"
  said Cynthia Lee-Ryden of Varilux.

  "With our current patent protection, technologically no 
  other solution for presbyopia comes close to Varilux."
  Prevent Blindness America supports and educates on the
  value of a continuum of vision are including visiting an 
  eye care practitioner for regular check-ups.  To locate
  an eye care practitioner in your area or for more 
  information about presbyopia, visit varilux.com.

  ESSILOR OF AMERICA

  Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary 
  of Paris-based Essilor International, S.A., 
  a publicly held company traded on the Bourse 
  (Symbol: ESI).
  Essilor is the leading manufacturer of optical 
  lenses in the U.S.  An industry pioneer in the development 
  and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor is the market 
  leader in progressive, high-index and anti-reflective
  coated lenses.  The company manufacturers optical lenses 
  under the Varilux®,
  Crizal®, Airwear® and Essilor brand names.  
  # # #
  Varilux*, Panamic®, Crizal* and Airwear® 
  are registered trademarks of Essilor International, S.A.
  Varilux Boomer Watch(tm) is a trademark of 
  Essilor of America, Inc.