Maria Katrina Paras

Article (news)

What is Fatty Liver Disease

<p>A <strong>fatty liver </strong>diagnosis can feel strangely casual at first. It often comes up during an executive checkup, an ultrasound, or a blood test that shows elevated liver enzymes. The surprise is becoming more and more prevalent: “But I’m only in my 30s.”</p><p>Younger Filipinos getting diagnosed is now too common. Fatty liver disease is no longer something people associate only with older adults or heavy drinking. Today, <strong>doctors are seeing it in younger Filipinos, including those in their early 20s to 30s, because the condition is closely tied to the way many of us now live: long sitting hours, high-sugar drinks, frequent takeout, stress, poor sleep, and meals built heavily around refined carbohydrates.</strong></p><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17878873419961.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">One of the liver’s functions is to process sugar and fat, but increased consumption overworks the organ.</span></span></span></strong></div><div><strong>What is a fatty liver?</strong></div><p>Fatty liver happens when excess fat builds up inside the liver. Many doctors now use the term <strong>metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, which replaced the older term non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in newer liver disease discussions. The shift matters because it points to the real issue: metabolism.</strong> Fatty liver is often <strong>connected to</strong><a href="https://www.aasld.org/liver-fellow-network/core-series/back-basics/steatotic-liver-disease-cutting-through-fat" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> insulin resistance, abnormal cholesterol, high blood pressure, belly fat, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes, not just alcohol use. </strong></a></p><p>In simpler terms, <strong>the liver is overwhelmed. It tries to process more sugar and fat than the body can use efficiently. When this happens often enough</strong>, fat starts to accumulate.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Younger people are getting diagnosed</strong></div><p>For many young professionals, the pattern is familiar: coffee with sugar in the morning, rice-heavy meals, another sweet drink in the afternoon, dinner ordered in, then hours of sitting in front of a laptop. None of these habits seems dramatic on its own. But repeated daily, they can quietly affect blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, and liver health.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17878874784982.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Bad diet, high stress, poor sleep, long hours seated—these all add up and could endanger your liver’s health</span></span></span>Local data already shows the connection. A <a href="https://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v14/i6/913.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Philippine General Hospital study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology</strong></a> <strong>found fatty liver disease in 12.2% of the patients reviewed. The mean age was 42.2 years, and among those diagnosed, 60% were obese while 69% had diabetes. </strong>The researchers even noted that Filipino patients appeared younger than in some earlier foreign studies.</div><p>Another <a href="https://giresearch.ph/jrre/abstract.php?id=93" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>multicenter review from St. Luke’s Medical Center </strong></a><strong>found fatty liver disease in 971 out of 5,028 liver disease patients from 2010 to 2017, or 19.31%</strong>. It was the <strong>second most common liver disease</strong> in that database after hepatitis B. The same review reported that <strong>79% had abnormal BMI, 51% had hypertension, and 48% had diabetes.</strong></p><p>These numbers are not meant to scare people. They simply show that fatty liver is part of a bigger metabolic picture.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>The chronic inflammation connection</strong></div><p><strong>Chronic inflammation can worsen fatty liver. </strong>Think of it as a low-grade internal fire. It is not the obvious kind of inflammation you see with a wound. It is silent, slower, and often linked to excess visceral fat, insulin resistance, poor diet, and stress.</p><p>A review on the relationship between <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12944-017-0572-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">insulin resistance and inflammation in fatty liver disease</a> explains that fat toxicity, insulin resistance, and inflammation can feed one another. <strong>The more insulin-resistant the body becomes, the harder the liver has to work.</strong> The more fat that builds up, the more inflammation can develop. Over time, this cycle may lead from simple fatty liver to liver inflammation, scarring, and more serious disease.</p><p>This is why fatty liver should not be dismissed as “<em>konting taba lang</em>.” It is often the body’s early warning sign.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Why this matters for Filipinos</strong></div><p>The Filipino diet is not automatically unhealthy, but <strong>modern eating patterns can make it easy to overdo sugar and refined carbohydrates while under-eating fiber and whole foods</strong>. The <a href="https://www.dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/news/86-2025-news/4067-dost-fnri-unveils-2023-filipinos-state-of-health-and-nutrition.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2023 National Nutrition Survey reported by DOST-FNRI </a>found that rice remains the main source of energy for many Filipinos, contributing 58% of total energy intake, while intake of fruits, dried beans, nuts, and legumes, as well as root crops, remains low. A very typical meal could be <strong>pancit sandwiched between pandesal, a bowl of champorado, plus sweetened coffee—and it’s only breakfast.</strong> The same report noted that two in 10 Filipino adults aged 20 to 59 are prediabetic. </p><p>The diabetes picture adds another layer. The <a href="https://idf.org/our-network/regions-and-members/western-pacific/members/the-philippines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Diabetes Federation’s 2024 profile for the Philippines</a> estimates <strong>4.7 million Filipino adults are living with diabetes,</strong> <strong>with a 7.5% adult prevalence</strong>. Since<strong> diabetes and fatty liver often go hand in hand</strong>, this should make us all more alert.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17878880653574.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Repeated carb-heavy meal consumption is a typical diet for Filipinos, and it needs to be re-assessed.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Small choices that improve liver health</strong></div><p>The good news is that fatty liver <strong>can improve, especially when caught early</strong>. You do not need to overhaul your life overnight. Start with the habits you repeat most.</p><p>Cut back on sweet drinks first: soft drinks, milk tea, juice drinks, sweetened coffee, and 3-in-1 mixes. Liquid sugar is one of the easiest ways to overload the liver without feeling full.</p><p>Then look at your plate. Assess what you eat. Rice doesn&#x27;t have to disappear, but it shouldn&#x27;t be the whole meal. Add protein, vegetables, and fiber before going back for extra rice. A simple Filipino meal can still work: fish with gulay, tinola, monggo, pinakbet, grilled chicken, eggs, tofu, or sardines with vegetables. Rethink the concept of eating 3 meals a day, too. <a href="https://www.webmd.com/fatty-liver-disease/masld-intermittent-fasting-tips" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Intermittent fasting may help improve fatty liver</a> <strong>by giving the body longer breaks from constant insulin spikes, which can encourage it to use stored fat—including liver fat—for energy. </strong>When paired with balanced meals and not used as a license to overeat, it can support weight loss, better blood sugar control, and lower inflammation, all linked to healthier liver function.</p><p>Move after meals. Even a 10- to 15-minute walk can help the body manage blood sugar better. Exercise doesn&#x27;t have to be just aesthetic; it can be practical.</p><p>Sleep also counts. Poor sleep affects hunger, cravings, insulin resistance, and stress hormones. Your liver feels that, too.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17878882366993.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Habits add up. We can regain control of our health, one conscious decision at a time.</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Don’t wait for symptoms</strong></div><p>Fatty liver is often silent, which is exactly why it deserves attention. Ask your doctor about liver enzymes, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, cholesterol, waist circumference, and whether you need an ultrasound or fibrosis assessment.</p><p>The point is not to panic. It is to listen early. Your liver can recover from a lot, but it should not have to keep absorbing the cost of everyday neglect. Start with one less sweet drink, one more walk, one better plate, one overdue checkup. Small choices, repeated consistently, can lower inflammation and give your liver room to heal.</p>

<p>This disease is becoming more common in the country. Here's why you should pay attention.</p>

This disease is becoming more common in the country. Here's why you should pay attention.

Fatty Liver Disease: Why It's Widespread Among Young Filipinos and How You Can Reverse It

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Fatty Liver Disease: Why It's Widespread Among Young Filipinos and How You Can Reverse It

Danah Gutierrez

Published August 28, 2026 11:00 AM PHT

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Updated August 28, 2026 11:41 AM PHT

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