One of the body’s most vital organs is the liver. It aids digestion, produces proteins to rebuild and repair damaged cells, stores the iron the body requires, transforms foods into energy, and helps the body fend off infections. The normal liver composition includes a minor amount of fat. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD is present when obesity causes the quantity of fat in the liver to rise to 5% to 10% of the total weight of the liver.
Obesity is one of the main risk factors for developing fatty liver disease, causing it to become enlarged and damaged. The increased amount of fat stored in the liver causes inflammation and tissue damage. This, in turn, causes cell damage leading to the formation of scar tissue and hence limiting the liver’s capacity to operate. When there is too much scar tissue, a condition called cirrhosis, which can lead to cancer and liver failure, arises.
Obesity is also associated with other conditions that can contribute to fatty liver disease, such as insulin resistance (which means your body makes insulin but can’t use it well. Glucose builds up in your blood, and your liver turns it into fat) and type 2 diabetes. It is necessary to develop measures to address NAFLD through behavior programs, minimize excess nutrition, and increase exercise because the obesity epidemic is likely to place a very large number of people at risk for liver disease in the future. Multidisciplinary teams with nutritionists, psychologists, and activity monitors are required to care for patients with NAFLD and encourage people to lead better lives.
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