Patient's question:
These days, my boss said I'm not in good spirits, which has affected my work performance. Actually, I didn't mean to, either. I often can't sleep at night, sometimes feel anxious and uncomfortable. If it gets worse, I'm worried it will affect my health and work. How can children get fatty liver disease?Doctor's answer:
Common causes of pediatric fatty liver include: a high-fat, low-protein diet, unreasonable snacks, lack of physical exercise and physical activity, picky eating, anorexia, or a deficiency of B vitamins in the diet, especially a lack of vitamin B1. Currently, the most common cause of pediatric fatty liver is an unreasonable diet, which leads to excessive obesity due to nutritional excess and subsequently results in fatty liver. Among children with excessive obesity, 20% to 30% suffer from varying degrees of fatty liver. Surveys have also found that most severely obese children (65% to 80%) prefer meat and consume large quantities of it, while others have a sweet tooth.Principles for preventing and treating pediatric fatty liver: Focus on rational dietary adjustments and increased physical exercise.
1. In daily diet, pay attention to the rationality of the dietary structure. Consume more protein-rich foods such as milk, fish, and soy products, while minimizing the intake of pork and beef to protect and promote the recovery and regeneration of damaged liver cells.
2. Limit total dietary calories, primarily controlling the intake of sugars and fats, as these nutrients can be converted into fat and stored when they exceed caloric needs and metabolic requirements.
3. Ensure adequate vitamin intake, especially B vitamins and vitamin C. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits with low sugar content, such as celery, spinach, small cabbage, cucumber, winter melon, bamboo shoots, and tomatoes.
4. Strengthen guidance on physical exercise for children, paying special attention to physical activity and exercise for obese children. Encourage them to spend more time outdoors and minimize sedentary behavior. Additionally, you can prepare herbal teas like lotus leaf tea or persimmon leaf tea for the children to drink, which may also be beneficial for those with fatty liver.