Fatty liver weighs down one in five young adults

Today’s discussion should be eye-opening, to say the least.  

That’s because recent research shows just how common one serious condition has become among young (and supposedly healthy) adults…  

Sick teens, sicker adults 

Fatty liver disease refers to a dangerous build-up of triglycerides in this organ. And aside from alcoholism, the leading cause of this condition is obesity and the excessive consumption of sugar (hence the term non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD). 

Left untreated, NAFLD can cause scarring of the liver (fibrosis) and eventually, full-blown cirrhosis—severe damage which is largely irreversible. So when I say that childhood obesity can cause irreparable harm?  

Well, you better believe that I mean it. Because according to recent findings published this year, nearly one in five young adults have fatty liver disease—and one in 40 have already developed scarring.  

These were the findings of the first study to look at the prevalence of NAFLD and fibrosis among young people in the U.K. (We already know it affects a good 25 percent of adults, worldwide.) And the results are shocking, to say the least. 

Researchers from the University of Bristol looked at data from more than 4,000 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. They assessed subjects for NAFLD using ultrasound as teenagers. Then later, they assessed for fibrosis. 

At age 17, more than two percent of subjects suffered from moderate to severe fatty liver. By the age of 24, this number had jumped to a whopping 13 percent.  

And if you think this is a catastrophe? Well, allow me to remind you of what’s going on right here in the United States…  

Obesity is killing our kids 

As recently as 2013, the American Liver Foundation estimated that close to 10 percent of all U.S. children had NAFLD. This included one percent of all kids between the ages of two to four… and a whopping 17 percent of teens between 15 to 19 years. 

Let me repeat that: There are two-year-olds in this country with fatty liver disease. And it disgusts me to say it, but if young people in the U.K. are faring badly, you can bet your last dollar that the problem here in the U.S. is much worse. 

If that wasn’t enough, research shows that more than one-third of obese children with NAFLD also show signs of left ventricular abnormalities in an ECG. Translation: These kids have heart disease. 

And it’s not the only lethal trend getting fuel from the obesity crisis, either. Cancer among younger people has been rising fast. And when you take into account the increases in severe obesity among children worldwide, it should be crystal clear by now that this is no coincidence. 

Let’s not mince words: Obesity is killing our children. But it’s never too early to turn the tide—and that fight starts at home. So, again, I’m begging you: Please teach your children how to eat well. It’s the only way to ensure their safe escape from what is now a tragically common fate. 

If you need some guidance on the subject, I encourage you to order a copy of my book, Feed Your Kids Well. 

P.S. A major study revealed how NAFLD doubles your risk of death. I share all of those details—and more—in the current issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“Four simple ways to fight fatty liver disease and slash your risk of early death”). So if you haven’t already, consider subscribing today. Click here now!  

Source: 

“Obesity crisis blamed for a rise in fatty liver disease amongst young adults.” Science Daily, 01/15/2020. <sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200115191527.htm>.