Cirrhosis of the liver has long been associated with alcoholism and hepatitis C but recent studies in both the United States and Europe point to the typical American diet, high in fat and sugar, as the reason more and more children and teenagers are developing liver disease, too.

Cirrhosis is suspected when blood tests reveal an elevated level of liver enzymes.  Adults are routinely tested for liver enzyme levels but children seldom are.  Researchers are quick to say that it isn’t the fast food itself that generates the enzymatic evidence of liver damage, it’s the excessive number of empty calories, those coming from sugar and fat, that is characteristic of a diet high in fast foods.

Brent Tetri, MD, internal medicine professor at Saint Louis University Liver Center, fed mice a diet that closely resembled a diet of fast foods, including 40% fat and high-fructose corn syrup, the most widely used sweetener in sodas and juice-based beverages manufactured today.  To further mimic the typical American lifestyle, the mice were forced to remain sedentary for the study.

In less than four weeks, liver enzymes increased, signaling liver damage.  There was also evidence of glucose intolerance, which often signals the strong likelihood of developing type II diabetes.

In another fast-food related study, Swedish researchers monitored 18 slim, healthy adults who ate fast foods and limited their physical activity for just one month.  Within the first week, study participants’ liver enzymes had risen sharply and, by the end of the month-long study, they’d gained an average of 12 pounds each.

Tetri, a leading expert in the US on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, says it’s the high caloric intake combined with the sedentary lifestyle that causes the liver damage and that it is reversible.  He says it’s quite easy to consume 2,000 calories in a single meal at a typical fast-food establishment but most Americans don’t need 2,000 calories in an entire day.

Fast-food lovers who’d like to reverse the damage already done can follow these steps Tetri offers for healthier livers:

1. Eat no more than one fast-food meal each week.  Consider it a treat, not a lifestyle.
2. Make healthier choices when eating from fast-food establishments.  To limit fat intake, cut out the mayo, cheese, and fries.  Drink diet instead of sugary beverages.  Order grilled chicken, low-fat salad dressings, and water.
3. Get more active.  Set a goal to exercise no less than three times each week.  Exercise boosts the metabolism to more effectively process all foods eaten and it minimizes weight gain.
4. Have your doctor test your liver enzymes and that of your children, too.

Tetri says it’s never too late to start a healthier lifestyle and prevent or reverse any damage that might occur to the liver and other vital organs.