PESHAWAR: Around half of adult Pakistanis are believed to be suffering from fatty liver disease due to obesity, junk food consumption, sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity, senior gastroenterologists warned here the other day.

They said the disease had reached epidemic proportions in the country and was increasingly affecting even children and lean individuals.

They were speaking at the 8th Annual Conference of Pakistan GI and Liver Disease Society (PGLDS), held under the theme of ‘Empowering the Future: Advancing GI and Liver Care’.

The experts warned that fatty liver disease, now known as Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), can silently progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer if left untreated, while also significantly increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders.

Advise people to adopt healthy lifestyle, avoid junk food

Speaking on the occasion, PGLDS President Dr Lubna Kamani said fatty liver disease had become one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease in Pakistan because of rising obesity, diabetes and unhealthy lifestyles.

She warned that colorectal cancer cases were also increasing rapidly, particularly among younger people, while lack of awareness, financial constraints and social barriers were hampering timely screening and diagnosis.

Prof Kamani regretted that Pakistan still lacked an adequate number of trained and qualified female gastroenterologists, creating difficulties for women seeking treatment for gastrointestinal and liver diseases.

She said PGLDS was making efforts to promote women doctors and young professionals in gastroenterology and hepatology through academic opportunities, mentorship and leadership roles.

Former PGLDS president Prof Sajjad Jamil said the world was facing a pandemic of fatty liver disease, which in Pakistan was touching epidemic proportions.

He said even lean individuals in Pakistan were increasingly developing fatty liver disease because of poor dietary habits, metabolic abnormalities and lack of physical activity.

He urged people to adopt healthier lifestyles, avoid junk food, exercise regularly and use medicines prescribed by physicians whenever required to prevent progression of liver disease.

PGLDS patron Prof Shahid Ahmed spoke on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), highlighting its causes, symptoms and increasing burden in Pakistan.

He said early diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases significantly improved treatment outcomes and advised patients to avoid quacks and seek treatment from qualified gastroenterologists.

Gastroenterologist Prof Nazish Butt discussed genetic causes of fatty liver disease, saying populations in South Asia exposed to prolonged famine conditions over generations had developed genetic mutations predisposing them to obesity and fatty liver disease in modern times.

Prof Javed Iqbal Farooqi delivered a detailed lecture on Hepatitis B, discussing advances in treatment, newer therapies and the possibility of achieving a functional cure in selected patients.

Prof AH Aamir highlighted the growing role of modern weight loss medicines, including semaglutide, in the prevention and management of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver disease.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026