Dr Quentin Anstee, consultant hepatologist at Newcastle University and the Freeman hospital, says he UK is facing a "major and growing challenge" as an escalating number of Brits succumb to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Around 33% of the British population is already believed to suffer from the condition and researchers are putting it down to greed—people are quite simply cramming themselves with more food than their livers can handle.
"Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the major and growing challenges facing the UK," Anstee said."
But with so much of the population at risk, Anstee says it may be hard to decide which individuals to "home in on".
"There has been a shift in the entire population," Anstee explained. "The truth is that the man in the street is carrying a few more pounds than a decade ago. The rate of liver disease has increased 400% since the 1970s."
The figures are already frightening enough, but Anstee's forecast for the future does not suggest there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
"It’s predicted that by the end of this decade, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease will be the most common underlying reason why people are required to have liver transplants, overtaking alcohol," he said.
Obesity is on the rise on a worldwide scale though, so Brits are not the only culprits when it comes to going large on their meals and growing large a consequence. Unfortunately, once overeating has become a habit it can be a hard habit to break and many people lack the necessary motivation to exercise regularly and eat healthy, even when the stakes are so high, so Anstee's predictions for the future will likely be all too accurate.
