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Are you through with all the food binging this holiday season?

AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes has warned Filipinos about the rising cases of fatty liver disease, which are common in people who have diabetes and are overweight.

"Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a potentially fatal condition with no symptoms at the early stages. This is why many people are unaware that they have it until it’s too late," Reyes said in a statement Thursday, Jan. 4.

"The good news is that it is easily preventable if diagnostic tests for detection are standardized and normalized for all," the pro-health congressman noted.

NAFLD is a disease characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver often leading to liver damage, disease, or even liver failure. Reyes said NAFLD can affect people with comorbidities.

"Sa bansa natin one in 14 adults ang may diabetes samantalang 38.6 percent ng adults ay overweight or obese. Lahat po sila ay mataas ang risk na magkaroon ng NAFLD," he said.

(In our country, one in 14 adults have diabetes while 38.6 percent of adults are overweight or obese. All of them have high risk of having NAFLD. )

"Early detection is key and we need to have programs in place to enable intervention at a stage when the disease can still be controlled and potentially reversed," he added.

A recent webinar hosted by the Hepatology Society of the Philippines showed that NAFLD affects about 10 to 20 percent of the Filipino population.

Meanwhile, the Global State of Liver Health 2022 Report published by the Global Liver Institute showed that in the Philippines, approximately 16,500 individuals die from liver disease complications per year.

"As we enter the new year, I hope that we also have a renewed focus on health and how we can provide quality and accessible healthcare to our kababayans," Reyes said.