As the obesity epidemic takes over Jamaica and the world, medical experts are finding more and more health problems associated with just being too fat. One expert lists over 130 obesity-related disorders. Your liver can also get sick from getting too fat.

The liver is one of the body's most important organs. It manufactures many important substances, plays a major role in our digestive processes while detoxifying and clearing toxins from the blood. Normally, the liver can handle a lot of abuse and has a tremendous ability to regenerate itself after damage and stress.

FATTY LIVER

Unfortunately, most people, including some doctors, are unaware of a liver problem that researchers say is now the commonest liver disorder in western countries. In the US, it is estimated to affect almost a quarter of the population. It is called Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). The name speaks for itself: an accumulation of fat in the liver, taking over more than 10% of the organ, in people who do not abuse alcohol. This distinction is important as a fatty liver was typically associated with excessive drinking of alcohol.

WHO IS AT RISK

The disease can strike anyone, but certain groups are at high risk:

The obese: 90 per cent of obese individuals are at risk of damaging their liver. Even more important is where your excess fat is stored. Fat around the waist (truncal obesity) is not just stored under the skin. It surrounds and infiltrates the abdominal organs, particularly the liver where fat globules actually enter the liver cells and damage them.

The diabetic: 50 per cent of diabetics have NAFLD, and virtually all obese diabetics will have the disorder. Excess insulin and insulin resistance, a condition associated with type 2 diabetes, and obesity seem to play a major role this liver disease.

High cholesterol: A very high percentage of individuals with elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have excess fats infiltrating their livers.

The elderly: The prevalence of this condition rises with age and recent studies show that over 65 per cent of persons over age 80 have NAFLD. Very sadly, many obese children already have fatty livers.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Like diabetes and high blood pressure, this liver condition is often silent for many years, only to cause life-threatening problems later.

In some cases you may only have non-specific complaints like low energy, fatigue and mild upper abdominal pain. Laboratory tests for liver function may or may not reveal any abnormality. Later in the progression of the disease, signs of inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer may develop.

TREATMENT OR PREVENTION?

Prevention is better than cure. Conventional medicine does not have a specific drug or treatment for this problem. However, the condition can be largely prevented and sometimes reversed by nutritional and lifestyle changes. This includes:

Weight loss: Losing weight witha nutritionally sound weight-loss programme will result in a significant reduction of excess fat in the liver. I use a lower carbohydrate type, cellular nutrition programme, very effectively in this condition. Getting rid of the fat around the waist is an essential part of any treatment plan. This very same diet will assist greatly in controlling high blood sugar and high cholesterol levels and this is also critical in successfully managing this problem.

Antioxidant supplementation: Vitamins A, C, E, selenium, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10 and glutathione (Immunucal) all help to protect the already damaged liver while promoting the regeneration of healthy liver cells.

Detoxification programmes: These will help relieve the toxic burden on an already compromised liver. The herb, milk thistle is particularly useful in this regard. Alcohol and other liver toxins must be absolutely avoided.

Soy products: Soybeans contain a form of phosphatidylcholine, a substance that has been shown in some studies to halt the progress of liver damage in NAFLD.

So, if you have a spare tire, a love handle or a beer belly, this may be a warning sign that you are on your way to developing a fatty liver. Remember, not only does life depend on the liver, but also as always, an ounce of prevention is worth a whole ton of cure!

You may email Dr Vendryes at vendryes@mac.com, or listen to 'An Ounce of Prevention' on POWER 106 FM on Fridays at 8 p.m. The programme streams live on go-jamaica.com.