Doctors warn obesity drives silent threat of fatty liver disease, risking cirrhosis and cancer; weight control can reduce risk
Obesity silently drives fatty liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis and cancer, but early-stage cases are reversible through weight loss and lifestyle changes, doctors warned at a Chulalongkorn Hospital health seminar.
On April 24, 2025, Chulalongkorn Hospital hosted an educational health seminar titled "Innovative Obesity Care for Sustainable Health" in collaboration with Chulalongkorn Royal College from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Dr. Damrong Sukijpanyarojn, Deputy Director of Chulalongkorn Hospital, opened the event by noting that obesity is a critical public health challenge in Thailand that affects not just appearance but overall population health, serving as a major risk factor for numerous chronic diseases including diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and musculoskeletal conditions. He emphasized that proper weight control can reduce disease risk and sometimes eliminate the need for certain medications, highlighting the principle that "food is medicine" and proper nutrition is key to good health.
The event featured expert panel discussions on comprehensive obesity treatment innovations led by multidisciplinary medical specialists covering nutrition, sports medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and mental health to provide the public with comprehensive knowledge on weight management and disease prevention.
Dr. Amya Keiatvirasetkul, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Chulalongkorn Hospital, explained the connections between obesity and various gastrointestinal and liver diseases, particularly acid reflux, gallstones, colorectal cancer, and fatty liver disease. She noted that obese patients often develop high abdominal pressure that compresses the stomach and causes acid reflux, which can increase esophageal cancer risk if chronic. Gallstones result from elevated cholesterol crystallization in bile, while colorectal cancer is linked to chronic inflammation triggered by obesity.
Dr. Amya highlighted growing concern about fatty liver disease, where insulin-resistant obese patients accumulate fat in the liver causing inflammation that can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer, even in non-drinkers. However, in early stages, fatty liver disease is reversible through behavior modification including weight loss, exercise, controlling comorbid conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol, dietary changes, and alcohol avoidance. Once cirrhosis develops, reversal is impossible and patients require liver cancer screening every six months.
The event also offered health services and educational activities including robotic weight loss surgery technology demonstrations, nutritional guidance for weight control, appropriate exercise programs, body composition analysis, specialized consultations, and innovative health food exhibits to help the public begin sustainable health management and behavioral change.
