Fatty Liver Disease is basically where fat is deposited in the liver and if not treated, you are placed at higher risk of liver problems in the future; problems such as; liver cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer.
Main Risk factors for Fatty Liver Disease include:-
- Overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome
- High calorie diets rich in saturated fats and cholesterol, soft drinks high in fructose and a diet that is high in processed foods
- A sedentary lifestyle, or low level of physical activity
- Sarcopenia
How is it treated?
The main therapy used to treat Liver Disease is lifestyle modification, including dietary changes, weight loss and structured exercise intervention.
- A dietary change focussing on weight loss can reduce the amount of fat in the liver and improve fatty liver disease and improve a persons quality of life.
- Weight Loss required to improve the long term health of the patient can be as low as 10% , and this can be achieved by eating 500-1000kCal (2000-4000 kJ) below an individuals daily requirements.
Exercise will also help and this has a twofold benefit;
- exercise will help with weight loss, and
- exercise has cardiovascular benefits and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for those with fatty liver disease.
To improve liver health, speak to a dietitian to discuss weight loss options and also to discuss an overall healthy diet removing processed foods from the diet. Gippsland Dietetics, can be contacted for an appointment via Telehealth from your own home. Contact 03-9020-3710
References:-
Gofton, C., George, J. Updates in fatty liver disease, The Royal College of General Practitioners 2021,