People with “abdominal obesity” are primarily characterized by insufficient physical activity leading to reduced muscle capacity in the limbs and excess fat content in the viscera, abdominal cavity, and abdominal wall. The etiology of fatty liver in these “false lean individuals” is exactly the same as in the obese population.
Fat deposition in the body equates to an obese state. During the process of overall obesity, the liver also becomes obese. When a person gains weight, it’s not just fuller breasts and hips, a rounder face, and a protruding belly known as a “beer belly,” even the internal organs, particularly the liver, get filled with fat, transforming into a plump, enlarged liver.
Excessive weight loss can also lead to fatty liver.
Obesity is the most common cause of fatty liver. Some might wonder why they develop fatty liver despite frequently dieting to maintain their figure by eating fewer carbohydrates and high-fat foods while engaging in effective physical activity. Little do they realize that for these “true lean individuals,” the real cause of fatty liver is actually excessive weight loss.
When animal fats are consumed and reach the abdomen, they are synthesized into human fats in the liver, then combined with albumin to form lipoproteins that are transported out of the liver to various parts of the body.
If a person loses weight too quickly, consumes very few carbohydrates, or goes for extended periods without eating, the amount of fat absorbed from the digestive tract decreases significantly. At this point, the stored fat in the body will be returned to the liver, where it converts into glycerol and fatty acids, then transported out of the liver as an energy source for the body.
Imagine repeatedly metabolizing fat in the same organ; liver cells are inevitably overwhelmed and may struggle to metabolize the excessive fat entering the liver, leading to continuous fat accumulation within liver cells, akin to a pile of “garbage” stored inside, forming fatty liver.
Similarly, under conditions of starvation where protein intake from food is extremely low, the production of albumin in the liver decreases due to a lack of “raw materials.” Without the conditions for forming lipoproteins, the fats entering the liver cannot be transported out of the liver cells and can only deposit in the liver, ultimately resulting in fatty liver.
In conclusion, dieting for weight loss should be moderate; avoiding carbohydrates and proteins entirely can lead to “lean individual fatty liver” caused by excessive weight loss.
(Original article from “Yishi Digest” No. 3675, Author: Yan Jie)
Text Editor: Yang Guibin
Layout Editor: Liu Xiru
Review: Geng Jikun
Final Approval: Xia Jie
Disclaimer: Respect intellectual property rights, copyrights belong to the original authors, articles and images are sourced from authorized writers or the internet. If there is any infringement, the original authors are kindly requested to contact us for public disclosure or deletion.
01
Subscribe to the 2025 “Yishi Digest”!
02
Sequencing in replenishing qi and blood is crucial; if the order is wrong, no matter how much you replenish, it’s futile!
03
Don’t be complacent; these 3 types of chronic inflammations in your body, if left untreated for too long, could lead to cancer.
04
If you often feel lethargic and weak all over, don’t take it lightly; it may indicate certain illnesses and prompt medical attention!
Share
Bookmark
Like
Reading
