Reversing fatty liver disease - the focus is different for fat and thin people!

Do only fat people get fatty liver? This is a myth many people have. Doctors point out that fatty liver is not exclusive to obese people, thin people may also get it. This is mainly because some people have congenital physical conditions, such as abnormal cholesterol metabolism. Even if they are slim and have a normal weight, they may still have fatty liver. As for how to reverse fatty liver? Fat people and thin people have different priorities!

Dr. Zhou Shuoqu from the Department of Family Medicine at Shuang He Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare pointed out that when the fat content in the liver exceeds 5% of the total weight of the liver, it means that the patient has fatty liver. According to a survey, one in three adults in Taiwan suffers from fatty liver. Although there are no obvious symptoms in the early stages, if the disease continues to worsen, it will develop into chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, or even liver cancer.

Fatty liver disease can affect both fat and thin people!

In fact, the presence of fatty liver represents a warning sign for health, but it is not immediately fatal and is often discovered accidentally during ultrasound examinations. However, fatty liver is closely related to obesity. People who are overweight and have a BMI greater than 25 have a significantly increased risk of developing fatty liver.

According to a survey conducted by the Liver Disease Prevention and Control Foundation, 90% of obese people (body mass index BMI greater than 30) have fatty liver. However, people with normal BMI or who are overweight should not be too happy. According to the survey, 1 in 4 non-obese people have fatty liver. Therefore, it is not surprising that thin people also have fatty liver.

Dr. Zhou Shuoqu emphasized that fatty liver is a curable disease. The high-risk groups include: people with diabetes and a family history of diabetes, moderate to severe obesity, hypertension, high blood lipids, people over 60 years old and those with metabolic syndrome; in addition, people with hepatitis C are also more likely to develop fatty liver.

The main causes can be divided into two categories. One is caused by excessive drinking, which causes liver damage; the other is collectively called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the main cause of which is being overweight, or a high-oil and high-fat diet resulting in high triglycerides, or lack of exercise, or taking certain special medications.

Fat people need to lose weight while thin people need exercise

The focus of dealing with fatty liver is different for fat and thin people. The focus is on the principle of "fat people should lose weight, and thin people should rely on exercise." For obese people, losing weight is the best medicine. Studies have found that if you can lose 10% of your body weight every month, you can effectively eliminate the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome. In terms of diet, there are two major principles to master.

1. Avoid a diet that causes fatty liver: This includes reducing the intake of foods and beverages containing trans fats, alcohol, high calories, high oil, high starch, and artificial sugars, and avoiding eating after 8 pm.

2. Master the "222 liver-protecting diet": that is, taking into account 2 good (good oil, good protein), 2 less (less carbohydrates, less sugar), and 2 high (high B group and high antioxidant); to avoid fatty liver, it does not mean to avoid fat at all, but to choose high-quality fats, such as plant nuts or animal fish.

For people with a thinner body type, exercise is the best way to deal with fatty liver. Because exercise consumes calories, eliminates triglycerides in the liver, and reduces the risk of fatty liver, it is important to exercise for 30 minutes a day, mainly aerobic or moderate exercise that can increase the heart rate to around 110 to 120 beats per minute. Brisk walking or strolling also have a certain effect.

[Tips for reversing fatty liver]:

To stay away from fatty liver, patients do not necessarily need to take medicine. "Changing lifestyle habits" is the most important thing, especially moderate weight loss is a must! However, it should be reminded that if you want to get rid of fatty liver problems as quickly as possible, the faster you lose weight is not necessarily better. Losing weight too quickly or being malnourished will affect the normal metabolic function of the liver and aggravate the deterioration of fatty liver. It is recommended that you follow the advice of professional doctors and nutritionists and lose weight moderately within a reasonable range.