MedPage Today on May 25, 2012 has an article documenting the rise of fatty liver disease in U.S. teenagers. Prevalence is now up to one in 10 teens.
An expert quoted in the article says it’s tied in with the rise of childhood obesity.
Youth obesity in the U.S. tripled from the early 1980s to 2000, ending with a 17% obesity rate. Overweight and obesity together describe 32% of U.S. children. Some experts believe this generation of kids will be the first in U.S. history to suffer a decline in life expectancy, related to obesity.
I wrote about a small research study that found a very-low-carb diet more effective against fatty liver, compared to a low-calorie diet. But that involved adults.
University of Colorado researchers indicate that for weight loss, a low-carb, high-protein diet is safe and effective in adolescents.
Diet researchers found in 2008 that a modified low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet had significant potential to reduce fatty liver. My Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet (minus the wine option) would probably help overweight teens with fatty liver disease, but it’s never been tested in such a clinical trial.
Advanced Mediterranean Diet 