Medical News Today report that over half a million overweight or obese children in the UK are at great risk of fatty liver disease. This condition is also called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and develops when fat gathers in the liver causing inflammation and scarring. Often there are no associated symptoms but it is known that the disease in young people is due to being overweight or obese.
This disease increases ones risk of having a heart attack or stroke, developing cirrhosis of the liver and diabetes. Fatty liver disease is also caused by long term alcohol consumption and in this case is called alcoholic fatty liver disease which later becomes alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
With approximately one fifth of 4 year olds and one third of all those aged between 10 and 11 years obese or overweight, the numbers are much too high despite levelling off.
The National Clinical Director for Liver Disease warns that as there are no symptoms until the disease is in its advanced stages. The only way to prevent the development of fatty liver disease is to get children more active and to get them losing weight now so they can avoid remaining overweight or becoming more overweight as they get older.
It is thought that this disease will become the main cause of cirrhosis overtaking alcohol as the main cause. England is known to have high rates of binge drinking and alcohol abuse so if young people start drinking alcohol, especially in excess when they have existing liver problems, this could cause serious problems for them.