You may know your cholesterol. Do you know your liver?
Most people never think about their liver until something is wrong. Yet fatty liver disease is one of the most common long-term health problems in the country. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) estimates that about 24% of U.S. adults have it, roughly one in four.
It usually causes no symptoms, so it is often found by accident, if at all.
What is fatty liver disease?
Fatty liver disease happens when too much fat builds up inside the liver. Doctors now call it MASLD, short for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. The long name points to the cause: the body is having trouble handling energy.
Here's a simple way to picture it. Think of the food you eat as income. Your muscles are where most of that income gets spent. When more comes in than your body can spend, or when your cells stop responding to insulin (the hormone that lets sugar into cells), the extra has to be stored somewhere. The liver becomes the overflow storage closet. Over time, the closet fills up.
In some people, that fat damages the liver, which can lead to scarring and, in some cases, cirrhosis.
Why it goes unnoticed
Most people with fatty liver feel fine, or just tired, which is easy to blame on a busy life. Waiting to feel sick isn't a plan. The better question is whether you have the risk factors.
Who is most at risk?
According to NIDDK:
- One-third to two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have fatty liver. Some studies report up to 7 in 10.
- It is found in up to 75% of people who are overweight.
- It is found in more than 90% of people with severe obesity.
Prediabetes, high blood fats (triglycerides), low "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and extra weight around the waist also raise the risk.
That matters here at home. According to County Health Rankings, about 38% of Shelby County adults have obesity and about 14% have diabetes.
Weight is not the whole story
Two people can weigh the same and be in very different health. Deep belly fat is closely tied to fatty liver, while muscle is the body's biggest user of blood sugar. That's why Health 360 Wellness looks past the scale to how much of you is fat versus muscle, your waist, how many calories you burn at rest, and lab work that includes blood sugar and liver health.
The cause differs from person to person: extra belly fat, low muscle at a "normal" weight, or stress and poor sleep. Your pattern shapes your plan.
Your body should switch fuels easily
A healthy body works like a hybrid car, switching smoothly between two fuels: sugar and fat. When your body stops responding well to insulin, it loses some of that ability and stores more energy as fat, including in the liver. Building muscle, getting your heart rate up, eating in a way that keeps blood sugar steady, sleeping well, and managing stress all help your body switch fuels again.
What you can do
A good plan works on several fronts:
- Food: vegetables, fiber, enough protein, and fewer sugary drinks and processed foods.
- Movement: activity that gets your heart pumping, plus strength training.
- Body composition: losing extra fat, especially around the waist.
- Sleep and stress: both affect hunger, blood sugar, and daily choices.
- Medical care: treating related conditions and using medication when it makes sense.
That's how the Health 360 Wellness team works: a physician, registered dietitian, exercise specialist, and behavioral health specialist with the same goals.
Join us on September 24
Dr. Kalra and the Health 360 Wellness team will host a free Community Health Talk on fatty liver and metabolic health on Thursday, September 24, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at 7975 Courtyard Plaza. Call (901) 494-6066 to save your seat, or book a $99 Discovery Visit.
This article is for general health education and does not replace individualized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment.
