Obesity and Liver Disease
WLR dietitian reports on recent research which has shown
that obesity speeds up the progression of liver disease.
Obesity Linked to Liver Disease
By WLR Dietitian
Most of us think of liver disease as a condition that’s
associated with regularly drinking too much alcohol. But now
experts say that being obese may also increase the risk of liver
disease.
The British Liver Trust reveals that recent research in the
US and Europe has shown that obesity speeds up the progression
of liver disease from a fatty liver through to fibrosis,
cirrhosis and ultimately liver cancer. In particular, it’s a
combination of a poor diet and excess alcohol – which provides
‘empty’ calories – that exacerbates liver disease.
Alison Rogers, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust
says, “Our unhealthy lifestyle is storing huge problems for the
future. With over 4,000 people dying from alcoholic cirrhosis
each year, we need to convey the message that if you are
overweight and drink regularly, you are causing even more work
for your liver, an organ already carrying out hundreds of jobs
that are vital to your life.”
WLR says:
Being overweight or obese puts additional strain on every
single part of our bodies, and our liver is no exception.
The liver has many functions. As well as providing an instant
store of energy called ‘glycogen’ for times when the body needs
to boost blood sugar levels, the liver helps to process fats and
proteins from digested foods. It also makes bile, which helps to
digest fats, and removes or processes alcohol, poisons and
toxins from the body.
Drinking too much alcohol, being obese (even if you don’t
drink) or having diabetes can all result in a condition called
fatty liver, where fat starts to build up in the cells of the
liver. In some cases, this extra fat causes the liver to become
inflamed, a condition called steatohepatits (steato means fat
and hepatitis means inflammation of the liver). This can
eventually cause scarring of the liver or cirrhosis.
Ultimately, the best way to prevent your liver from becoming
fatty in the first place or to reverse the process, is to lose
weight if you need to and to only drink alcohol within safe
limits – that’s a maximum of 2-3 units daily for women and 3-4
units daily for men. Better still, drinking less alcohol will
help to cut calories, which in turn will aid weight loss – and
both of these things are great news for keeping your liver in
tip-top health.
More Information
www.britishlivertrust.org.uk
Founded in 1988, the British Liver Trust is a national
charity set up to provide support and education, and to help
fund medical research in the fight against adult liver disease. |
