Health research shows that 1 in 4 people in the United States suffer from a condition that is little talked about: fatty liver disease, which may be related to poor eating habits and most alarmingly, it affects children.
As we know, because of the pandemic, some children at home may have had more access to sugary snacks and not exercised much. Something that studies have shown does not help to improve this condition because it is linked to obesity.
Diet changes make a difference and help prevent childhood obesity as well as fatty liver disease, a condition increasingly common in Hispanics.
Dr. Adriana Carrillo, pediatric endocrinologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, says, “The prevalence of fatty liver disease in Hispanics is about 4 times higher and it has several states, it could simply be the build-up of fat in the liver causing absolutely nothing.
But the specialist explains that it can progress to a more serious condition.
“There is an inflammatory response that will lead to changes in the way liver tissue changes, and this may eventually evolve. This is called fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis and is also related to liver cancer.”
Dr. Adriana Carrillo conducted a study of childhood obesity in Hispanic children in Miami. He found that fatty liver could be linked to diets high in sugar and fat.
“Nearly 20% of overweight or obese children had impaired liver function,” Carrillo says. “What you are doing is less carbohydrates, no sugars, even fructose and all of that is also related to the occurrence of fatty liver disease, eating more vegetables and activity,” he adds.
And for that, you need to help him with at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.
The doctor warns that this has become a public health problem as obesity has increased. Although many people can benefit from a diet low in carbohydrates and sugar, and more exercise.