He ate snacks as regular meals, and his weight soared to over 13 kilograms in more than a year, and he developed fatty liver!

If you eat snacks as meals, be careful of weight gain and fatty liver! In particular, if you had fatty liver when you were a child, be careful as your chances of needing a liver transplant when you grow up will increase! A 13-year-old boy named Ade was originally overweight. Over the past year or so, due to the pressure of further studies and the epidemic, he stayed indoors almost all day long. He often relaxed by eating snacks when he was free. As a result, his weight soared. In the past year or so, he gained nearly 13 kilograms. He is currently 168 cm tall, weighs 89 kg, and has a BMI of 31.5. Even if he sleeps 8-10 hours a day, he still often feels tired. His parents were worried about something wrong, so they took him to the hospital for treatment. Unexpectedly, he was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Obesity is the most common cause of liver disease in children, a chronic liver disease caused by excess fat accumulation in the liver.

Ultrasound examination of a 13-year-old patient showed severe fatty liver. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is closely related to obesity!

Dai Jishan, the attending pediatrician at Shutian Clinic who admitted the patient, pointed out that a physical examination revealed obvious acanthosis nigricans on Ade's neck and armpits, and stretch marks on his abdomen; a blood test showed that the liver index ALT (GPT) had risen to 81U/L (normal is below 40); an ultrasound showed severe fatty liver, and after excluding other factors that may cause hepatitis, he was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

After dietary education, increased physical activity and regular outpatient follow-up, the liver index gradually returned to normal after half a year, but the fatty liver is still very serious. Currently, ultrasound follow-up in the outpatient clinic is continuing to observe whether the fatty liver has improved.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity are closely related! Dr. Dai Jishan said that obesity is the most common cause of liver disease in children, a chronic liver disease caused by excessive fat accumulation in the liver. The prevalence rate is about 7% among the overall child and adolescent population, or 34% among obese children. Fatty liver disease can be divided into fatty liver without hepatocellular damage, fatty liver with hepatocellular inflammatory damage, and the most serious cirrhosis according to its severity.

One-third of patients with fatty liver may progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis, and even be at risk of liver cancer.

Suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a few may experience abdominal discomfort or fatigue

Most children with NAFLD are asymptomatic; a few may have right upper abdominal pain or nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal discomfort or easy fatigue. Blood liver function and biochemical tests can be used as preliminary screening, and imaging examinations can track ultrasound patterns. Other symptoms due to obesity combined with metabolic syndrome may include acanthosis nigricans, hepatosplenomegaly, and central obesity.

One-third of patients with fatty liver may develop fibrosis or cirrhosis, or even liver cancer risk

If you have fatty liver when you are a child, be careful because your chances of having a liver transplant will increase when you grow up! Dai Jishan mentioned that studies have shown that the life expectancy of patients with simple fatty liver disease is no different from that of normal people. However, for patients with fatty liver disease combined with inflammatory damage to liver cells, about one-third of patients may progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis, which may subsequently lead to the development of liver cancer. Therefore, when a child is overweight and has fatty liver, he or she should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and be followed up regularly. Long-term fatty liver may cause hepatitis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even increase the risk of liver failure, liver cancer, and liver transplantation in the future.

Treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Evidence shows that weight control is the most effective

Weight control is the only proven treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, primarily achieved through lifestyle changes and dietary control. Studies have shown that lifestyle intervention and dietary control for 3 to 12 months can effectively improve liver function and the severity of fatty liver. Changing lifestyles include: increasing physical activity (exercise or aerobic exercise that increases muscle strength and endurance) and developing exercise habits; reducing sedentary activities and reducing the time spent watching TV or using 3C products; and increasing opportunities to walk and climb stairs in daily life, such as walking to school. In terms of diet control, pay attention to balanced nutrition; consume appropriate food portions; reduce the consumption of high-sugar, high-calorie, and fried foods.

Dr. Dai Jishan reminds us not to think that being fat as a child is okay, as being overweight can also have an impact on children’s health. Complications caused by obesity, such as fatty liver, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, arteriosclerosis, etc., may also occur in children. If a child has obesity problems, or even has developed fatty liver or related metabolic diseases, he or she should seek medical attention as soon as possible to seek improvement, and regularly track the improvement to reduce the risk of liver cancer or liver transplantation in the future!