Fat liver, not belly, may be best indicator of health problems

Fat liver, not belly, may be best indicator of health problems

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — For years, scientists have warned people that having an apple-shaped figure or a beer belly is a health risk.

They
said people with wide girths are more likely to have visceral or
intra-abdominal fat, which increases their risk of diabetes, heart
disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

But
new research presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the Obesity
Society shows that belly fat may not be the biggest bad guy behind some
of the medical issues. "Fat in the liver is a more important indicator
of health problems," says Samuel Klein, director of the Center for
Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Klein
and colleagues recruited 31 obese men and women and looked at their
visceral fat, which surrounds the organs in the belly, and their liver
fat. Some people had high amounts of liver fat; others had normal
amounts. A normal liver contains 5% fat or less, but a severe fatty
liver may contain up to 50%, Klein says. The latter is referred to as
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Using several different medical tests, the researchers found that people with fatty livers:

•Make more triglycerides, which are released from the liver into their bloodstream and can increase the risk of heart disease.

•Are
more likely to be resistant to the action of their own insulin, meaning
their bodies don't regulate blood sugar properly, which can lead to
type 2 diabetes, Klein says. Over time, high sugar levels damage large
and small blood vessels, leading to heart disease, stroke, nerve
damage, amputations, blindness and kidney disease.

"We
do not yet know whether the liver fat is causing these health problems
or is simply a very good indicator of health risk," he says. "Even
though it looks like visceral fat itself might not cause harm, it is
often high in people with increased liver fat."

About
30% of adults and a third of overweight children and adolescents have
too much liver fat, he says. If you are obese, 30 or more pounds over a
healthy weight, you are at a higher risk of having non-alcoholic fatty
liver disease.

The bottom line: If you're too
heavy, it's a good idea to trim down, he says. A weight loss of as
little as 2% to 5% can cause a marked reduction in liver fat.

In
a related study, Elisa Fabbrini of Washington University School of
Medicine found that severely obese people who lost weight after gastric
bypass surgery significantly lowered the fat in the liver.