American Lifestyles Lead to Liver Disease
Today, one in three Americans suffer from liver conditions, predominantly from fatty liver disease. Fatty liver is mostly caused by unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits which quickly develop into obesity and other chronic conditions. As the liver performs over 500 functions, its inability to do its job impacts other organs and can result in multiple organ failures and dangerous medical complications.
Amsety´s liver health experts have studied data from the Liver Health Score to explore Americans´ most common dietary and lifestyle habits essential for liver health.
The overall findings revealed that the regular consumption of alcohol, soda, fast food, sugary or salty snacks was a typical lifestyle pattern of 48% of the respondents. These unhealthy habits are becoming increasingly normalized and present a problem that it is reckless to ignore — they are killing our liver.
97% of liver experts* rank nutrition and lifestyle as the most important factors for liver health. The link between their liver status, diet, and lifestyle remains widely neglected by many Americans pushing the country to the verge of a liver disease epidemic.
Detailed findings conclude that of the individuals with a problematic Liver Health Score, 72% are regular drinkers of soda, 66% drink alcohol throughout the day, and 62% frequently eat sugary snacks. Shockingly, 42% knowingly suffer from a liver condition, but largely ignore it. About 43% of those with a problematic Liver Health Score drink only 1-3 glasses of water per day, 31% eat vegetables daily, and 10% partake in weekly family dinners.
On the contrary, people with a favorable Liver Health Score demonstrate a much healthier pattern of habits essential for liver health. 90% of them regularly eat vegetables, 59% drink 7-9 glasses of water a day, 44% abstain from alcohol, and one-third eat as a family most nights — considerably more often than those with a problematic Score.
Unhealthy habits are much less prevalent among individuals with a positive Liver Health Score — only 1% of them drink soda regularly, frequently eat fast food or sugary snacks.
“These numbers are eye-opening. We should urgently educate the public about liver health and prompt discussions at the policy level focussing on nutrition, lifestyle, and public awareness as the key to prevention and treatment of fatty liver disease. Knowing which lifestyle habits to implement can stop the disease progression and improve treatment outcomes“, Wayne Eskridge, CEO of the Fatty Liver Foundation.
Nearly 10,000 people have taken the Liver Health Score with the average score of 65 out of 100, which falls within the rather unhealthy range of the liver health lifestyle spectrum.
“A heathy lifestyle begins with knowing what to do and what to leave out. With now 1 in 3 Americans running into liver health problems, Liver Health Education becomes a national priority”, says Mustafa Behan, Founder of Amsety.
