On Global Fatty Liver Day (13 June), Essentiale, the No. 1 liver-care brand from Opella, is calling attention to a health crisis silently gripping the Philippines.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease is on the rise, yet it remains one of the least understood and most ignored threats to Filipino well-being.

Nearly 20 million Filipinos are at risk of MAFLD, a condition commonly misunderstood as being alcohol-related but is, in fact, driven by poor diets, lack of exercise, chronic stress and underlying conditions like obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

Today, nine out of 10 obese individuals and 7 out of 10 diabetics in the country are vulnerable to liver deterioration.

Alarmingly, the average age of fatty liver sufferers has dropped to just 38 years old.

Globally, fatty liver disease has reached epidemic proportions.

As of 2023, it impacts 30 percent of adults worldwide, which is expected to rise above 50 percent by 2040.

Despite this staggering scale, treatment remains significantly underutilized.

In the Philippines, these global trends are mirrored by local health burdens, where lack of awareness and late diagnosis amplify the risks.

Yet, the silver lining remains: 8 out of 10 cases are reversible when caught in time, according to one study.