Eating too much is now a serious health issue, especially in Delhi NCR, where individuals are consuming excessive amounts of processed and unhealthy food in large portions. This practice directly leads to an alarming surge in liver ailments, primarily fatty liver disease, which is increasingly widespread across age groups.
According to Dr. Shalimar from the Gastroenterology Department at AIIMS, fatty liver is on the rise not only in urban areas but also in rural parts of the country. This worrying trend was brought into the spotlight on the occasion of World Liver Day. Dr. Shalimar’s recent work on liver health found that almost 60% of people between the ages of 30 and 60 in Delhi are currently suffering from fatty liver. More alarming is the national situation – nationwide, one out of every three people is suffering from this disease. Moreover, this disease is not restricted to adults alone; the same data indicates that one in three children are equally suffering from fatty liver disease as well, putting a dismal light on health trends of the future.
What Causes Fatty Liver?
Fatty liver, mostly an asymptomatic disease with fewer symptoms in the initial stages, can turn into severe liver injury if left unnoticed. One of the main reasons for fatty liver in urban cities such as Delhi is eating too much food – especially the intake of food even when not feeling hungry. With hectic and busy lifestyles, most people totally depend on instant food, junk food, and sweet snacks. The nutritional quality of food consumed has come down drastically. Individuals have increasingly begun to eat refined flour-based foods, fried foods, high amounts of sugar, packaged foods, and foods from outside the home instead of home foods.
The theme for this year’s World Liver Day – “Food is Medicine” – aptly underscores the importance of diet in maintaining liver health. According to Dr. Shalimar, this shift in dietary habits, combined with a lack of physical activity and a sedentary, stress-laden lifestyle, is causing severe harm to people’s livers. In fact, the liver is one of the most sensitive organs to changes in diet and lifestyle.
How to Keep the Liver Healthy?
The silver lining is that fatty liver disease is reversible, particularly in its initial stages. The liver has an amazing capacity for self-repair. By consciously and consistently changing one’s habits on a day-to-day basis-particularly diet-wise, one can drastically lower the risk of liver damage. As per medical experts, changing your diet can decrease the likelihood of liver problems by as much as 50%.
In order to ensure that the liver remains healthy, physicians advise a balanced diet with high intake of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and foods containing high amounts of lean proteins such as lentils, tofu, or skinless chicken and fish. Avoiding or reducing the use of sugar-containing drinks, fried foods, and highly processed foods can do much to prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver. Regular exercise, even a brisk walk of 30 minutes daily, also has an important role to play in keeping the liver healthy.
How to Prevent Liver Damage in the Long Run?
Prevention is early. Medical experts noted World Liver Day to highlight the vital role schools, teachers, and parents can play in moulding healthy eating habits in children. By setting this habit early on, we ensure the future generation is saved from succumbing to lifestyle diseases like fatty liver. Schools can take the initiative to include nutritious food in their meal plans, avoid processed and packaged snacks, and ban sugary soft drinks from their cafeterias.
Additionally, there is a pressing need for better food labelling regulations in India. Consumers should be able to make informed choices about the food they purchase and eat. Government policies must encourage the availability of healthier food options and raise awareness about the consequences of poor eating habits.
Dr. Shalimar also pointed out the unnecessary use of medications as a contributing factor to liver damage. Many people self-medicate or overuse certain drugs, which can overload the liver. Therefore, avoiding unnecessary medicines and allowing the body to build natural immunity through a healthy diet and regular exercise is key to liver health.
Conclusion
Food is not just fuel for the body-it is medicine. This message cannot be emphasized enough in today’s fast-moving world, where convenience often takes priority over health. If steps are taken today to address overeating, poor diet choices, and lack of exercise, a large percentage of liver problems can be prevented or even reversed. In the fight against fatty liver and other lifestyle diseases, adopting a balanced, mindful, and active lifestyle is not an option-it’s a necessity.
