The most common cause of fatty liver disease in Canada is obesity.

Several decades ago obesity was not very common, but according to current statistics more than half of all Canadians are overweight. The good news is that your liver is the only organ that can renew itself, so fatty liver disease can be reversed. A healthy diet and exercise are important components of any weight-loss regimen. The following are some suggestions for preventing fatty liver disease:

* Choose to lead a healthy lifestyle
* If you are overweight, strive for a gradual and sustained weight loss of one or two pounds per week
* Eat a well-balanced diet that is low in saturated fats and high in fibre
* Limit alcohol intake
* Introduce walking into your routine, at least four times a week
* Walking, like other exercise, can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. Walking can help you:
Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
Lower your blood pressure
Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
Manage your weight
Improve your mood
Stay strong and fit
*MayoClinic.com

You may consider setting a goal for yourself, like participating in your first ten-kilometre walk or half-marathon, and work up to walking a full marathon. A number of charities offer walkers a chance to train for twenty weeks to walk a marathon. Participants raise pledges to support the charity, and they receive training, fundraising assistance, marathon registration, and travel and accommodation at the marathon destination.

This September, Give’r for Liver will be travelling to Maui, Hawaii, to walk the Maui marathon. For more information on liver health, or for Give’r for Liver, please contact your local chapter of the Canadian Liver Foundation.

About the Author

Debralee Fernets is the regional director, Calgary Chapter, of the Canadian Liver Foundation and Give’r for Liver Founder