Children at risk: Access to food causes Fatty Liver disease

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A healthy, balanced diet is a key element in fending off fatty liver disease, medical experts say, but an April 2023 report from the Public Policy Institute of California showed that about one in 10 California households lacked the resources to meet their food needs.

Food insecurity has caused a surge in cases of fatty liver disease among Latino children in the United States, researchers at the University of California reported Friday, but many Latino households can’t afford the nutritional food that can prevent the condition.

Latino children and adults have a higher prevalence of fatty liver disease than white or Black people, the UCSF team said, and the condition is the No. 1 indicator for a liver transplant as an adult.

“We believe screening for (fatty liver disease) should begin earlier than current guidelines recommend, which is age 9-11 years for children with obesity and age 2-9 years for those with severe obesity,” said Dr. Sarah Maxwell, a pediatrician and the lead author on the study.

“Food insecurity screening is also important early on, especially for Latinx children who are at higher risk and could be connected to healthier food resources in their communities.”

A healthy, balanced diet is a key element in fending off fatty liver disease, medical experts say, but an April 2023 report from the Public Policy Institute of California showed that about one in 10 California households lacked the resources to meet their food needs.

A disproportionate share of households experiencing food insecurity are Latino — 47% vs. 30% in the population at large, according to PPIC researchers Tess Thorman and Patricia Malagon.

Their colleague Paulette Cha also reported that, despite playing a key role in state and national food supply chains, a largely Latino farmworker population is vulnerable to food insecurity because their immigration status prevents them from accessing all the nutritional assistance programs available to the U.S. citizens.

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