Thinner, lighter lenses get consumers' attention.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)

People who wear eyeglasses spend more time choosing a flattering frame than thinking about the lenses they'll look through.

But as the baby boomers hit middle age and the market for glasses magnifies, that may be changing. The optical-industry trade magazine 20/20, calling this the ``decade of the lens,'' reported in its February issue that consumers were paying a lot more attention to lenses.

Have aging boomers suddenly lost their vanity?

Not a chance. The difference is technology, says Joseph L. Bruneni, author of ``Looking Back,'' the just-published history of eye care in America, and consultant to the Optical Laboratories Association. Today there ...