Sitting at the beach, casually looking about, it's pretty difficult to avoid drawing a certain conclusion. A fairly large percentage of men in their forties and beyond are overweight. In fact, overweight may be a generous term considering the disparity in the shoulder-to-waist ratios exhibited by younger men versus—should I say it—men of my own generation.
Of course, it's always been this way, from time immemorial (well, perhaps not counting the hunter-gatherer period when it was practically impossible to get any kind of gut, let alone a beer gut). People get older, joints begin to creak, skin begins to sag, and "certain areas" get broader. Where I live, in the American South, this seems particularly true of guys who are past forty.
Obesity. You hear it talked about all the time. And when most people think of obesity, they think of the vanity consequences. However, while being obese can destoy your self-esteem and make life more challenging in various ways, there are other life-threatening reasons to eat healthy, engage in regular exercise, and keep your weight down. One of the biggest consequences of obesity is liver disease.
Liver damage is a huge problem in the United States, and not because of drinking. Statistics show that one of the most common health issues found in obese teens and children is liver damage. In fact, one out of every three Americans is estimated to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The reasons are simple: overeating, high sugar diets, and processed junk foods. As a fast food nation, the amount of liver damage our country is experiencing is skyrocketing. The amount of diabetes and liver disease affecting adults is reaching all-time highs, and the amount of diabetes and liver disease affecting children today is staggering.
If left untreated, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progresses into more serious issues. Liver damage can turn into steatohepatitis. ‘Steato’ means ‘fat’, and ‘hepatitis’ means ‘inflammation of the liver’. The disease is characterized by fat accumulation in the liver and inflammation of the liver. When caused by obesity or diabetes (often linked with obesity) it is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. If liver damage progresses past steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis can be the result. This is the end stage and requires a liver transplant for survival.
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