Obesity is one of the major risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can progress to hepatitis, even cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Fatty liver is a condition in which fat accumulates to 5% of the liver weight (normal people only have 2%-4%). The disease is divided into 2 types: Non-alcoholic fatty liver and alcoholic fatty liver.
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| Obesity is one of the major risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can progress to hepatitis, even cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. |
The global prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing over time, in parallel with the obesity and diabetes epidemics. The disease is associated with metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and especially obesity.
The risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease increases with increasing body mass index (BMI). The condition affects 50%-90% of obese people, compared to only 15%-30% in the general population. In fact, 65% of people with grade 1-2 obesity (BMI=30-39.9 kg/m²) and 85% of people with grade 3 obesity (BMI=40-59 kg/m²) have the condition.
For example, Mr. NTL (35 years old, Hau Giang) gained 42kg in less than a year (from 60kg to 102kg), his knees, shoulders and neck often ached, and he had difficulty breathing when climbing stairs.
To lose weight, he tried strict diets and used functional foods but they were ineffective. He went to a medical facility for examination, measured his Inbody body index and found a BMI of 41.8 (grade 3 obesity). Test results showed grade 3 fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and prediabetes.
After 10 months of perseverance from Hau Giang to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment, he lost 22 kg, his liver was no longer fatty, his obesity went from level 3 to level 1, his joint pain was reduced as well as the risk of heart disease, diabetes... His goal is to lose 70 kg.
Dr. Lam Van Hoang, Director of the Weight Loss Treatment Center, Tam Anh General Hospital system, said that weight loss is the key to controlling and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Losing just 5-10% of your body weight can help reduce liver fat, improve insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, better metabolize lipids, and improve liver function.
This is because when you eat too many foods rich in calories and carbohydrates, your body can develop insulin resistance. Therefore, more than 70% of obese people have insulin resistance, which affects the regulation of blood sugar, leading to the liver producing too much glucose (sugar).
As a result, the liver converts excess glucose into fat and stores it in liver cells, causing fatty liver. Conversely, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease also causes and worsens insulin resistance, leading to a “vicious cycle.”
Obesity is often accompanied by increased levels of free fatty acids in the blood. These fatty acids are transported from adipose tissue to the liver, causing fat accumulation there. When the amount of fat exceeds the liver's ability to metabolize, fat accumulates in liver cells, leading to fatty liver.
In addition, obese people also have lipid metabolism disorders, making it more difficult for the body to use and metabolize fat. When the liver cannot metabolize fat effectively, fat accumulates in liver cells, increasing the risk of fatty liver.
Additionally, chronic inflammation associated with obesity can increase levels of oxidative stress (an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body), damaging liver cells, increasing the risk of fat accumulation in the liver and progressing to fatty liver.
Obesity not only causes fat accumulation in the liver but also in other fatty tissues in the body. Increased extrahepatic fat puts pressure on and encourages the liver to absorb more fat from the blood, leading to fatty liver.
To prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese people, weight control is one of the most effective measures.
Overweight and obese people need to lose weight comprehensively, multi-modally, combining optimal treatment regimens, including factors: endocrine, nutritional counseling, exercise regimen and high-tech treatment. Thereby limiting general complications and maintaining comprehensive health for overweight and obese people.
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