If You Sit All Day, This Is the One Habit a Hepatologist Wants You To Have

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formally known as fatty liver disease, is a health condition that can really sneak up on you. It happens gradually with no symptoms, so many people don’t realize they have it. Often, people with MASLD find out they have it when tests are done for other reasons. 

Since MASLD doesn’t have any early symptoms, it’s easy to brush it off as no big deal, but its effects can be detrimental. Without treatment, it can cause more serious liver diseases.    According to the American Liver Foundation, an estimated 25% of adults in the US have MASLD, and instances of it are on the rise.

“As our diets have changed to a more ultra-processed food diet, obesity and incidences of MASLD have risen,” says Dr. Pradnya Mitroo, MD, a gastroenterologist and a managing partner at Fresno Digestive Health. To this point, Dr. Mitroo notes that 70% of people with type 2 diabetes and 70 to 80% of people with obesity have MASLD.

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Dr. Marta Trejor Bravo, MBBS, PhD, MSc, a hepatologist at University of Iowa Health Care, explains that obesity and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of fat building up in the liver, which can lead to inflammation and, over time, liver scarring. This is why having them is a risk factor for MASLD.

There’s one simple habit both doctors say can help lower the risk of MASLD, and it’s something especially people who sit all day can benefit from.

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The Simple Habit People Who Sit All Day Should Have To Lower Their Risk of MASLD

Most people spend the majority of their time sitting. Many people are tied to their computer all day for work, and even after work, it can feel more enticing to relax on the couch than to do something active. But all that sitting has a price. According to scientific research, physical inactivity is a core independent driver of MASLD. 

There’s one simple habit that can help lower your risk and it’s one Dr. Tejedor and Dr. Mitroo recommend to everyone—especially to people who spend most of their time sitting: going for a short walk after each meal. 

“Walking after a meal can help prevent blood sugar from rising too high. When you walk, your muscles use some of the sugar from your bloodstream for energy, which helps lower the amount of sugar your liver needs to handle after eating. By helping the body manage blood sugar more effectively, regular walks after meals can reduce fat buildup in the liver and improve the body’s response to insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels,” Dr. Tejedor tells Parade.

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Dr. Mitroo points to scientific research showing that walking alone—even without dietary intervention—significantly decreases liver fat. “Walking also supports liver health by producing various peptides that decrease inflammation in the liver,” she adds.

She highlights scientific studies showing that walking after eating reduces postprandial glucose spikes significantly, compared to exercising before a meal, explaining, “This really matters because it has been shown that 30% of fat that gets deposited in the liver is actually produced in the liver in response to these postprandial glucose surges.”

In addition to decreasing inflammation and reducing fat buildup in the liver, Dr. Mitroo says that walking also restores the intestinal barrier function disrupted by diets with ultra-processed foods. This helps rebalance the gut microbiota composition. “It’s really important since we know that gut dysbiosis activates inflammatory pathways that drive MASLD progression,” she explains.

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Other Health Benefits of Walking After Meals

Taking a short, post-meal walk isn’t just good for your liver; it benefits the whole body. According to Dr. Tejedor, even a walk as short as 10 minutes is enough to lower blood sugar levels, a benefit that has a positive domino effect throughout the body.

For example, better blood sugar control helps the body process food better. It’s also good for your heart. “Reducing blood sugar spikes may help protect blood vessels and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease over time,” she explains.

Balanced blood sugar also supports mental health. Once you start taking a short walk after eating, you’ll likely find that your energy remains more stable throughout the day and you’re in a better mood. This is because blood sugar crashes can lead to fatigue and irritability.

Scientific research shows that walking after meals is a helpful habit for weight management too. A scientific article published in the International Journal of General Medicine found that walking after eating was more effective for weight loss than waiting for one hour to walk after a meal.  

Other Ways To Reduce Your Risk of Masld

While going on a short walk after eating is a great way to reduce your risk of MASLD, other habits can also help. In terms of diet, Dr. Mitroo says that the Mediterranean diet is a great eating plan to follow for lowering the risk of many chronic conditions, including MASLD. This eating plan emphasizes eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables, plant-based proteins, seafood and olive oil while minimizing ultra-processed foods and red meat.

“Ultra-processed foods change our gut microbiome, which causes gut microbiome dysbiosis and contributes to the liver inflammation seen in MASLD,” Dr. Mitroo says.

She adds that it’s especially important to be mindful of your sugar intake, explaining, “An important thing for people to understand is that sugar is what causes MASLD, not fat.”

Another way to support your liver is to minimize alcohol consumption.

“Alcohol can worsen liver damage in people with MASLD. Research suggests that even moderate amounts of alcohol may increase the risk of liver disease progression. For this reason, experts recommend limiting alcohol intake if you have MASLD. People with more advanced liver scarring should avoid alcohol altogether,” Dr. Tejedor says.

It’s also important to consistently get good sleep. “Optimizing sleep is very important because poor sleep quality is a substantial risk factor for MASLD development. Fragmented or restricted sleep causes a significant reduction in insulin sensitivity, even after a single night of partial sleep deprivation,” Dr. Mitroo explains.

Reducing your risk of MASLD doesn’t come down to one specific habit; what your overall diet and lifestyle look like matters more. But committing to going on a 10-minute walk after each meal is a great first step to take toward supporting your health. It’s something your whole body will benefit from.

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Sources

• Fatty liver disease (MASLD). Mayo Clinic.
• Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). Cleveland Clinic.
• Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). American Liver Foundation. 
• Dr. Pradnya Mitroo, MD, gastroenterologist and a managing partner at Fresno Digestive Health.
• The American Diabetes Association Announces a Statement on Liver Disease in Diabetes. American Diabetes Association.
• Koliaki, C., Dalamaga, M., Kakounis, K., et al. (2025). Metabolically Healthy Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Navigating the Controversies in Disease Development and Progression. Current Obesity Reports. 14(1):46.
• Dr. Marta Trejor Bravo, MBBS, PhD, MSc, hepatologist at University of Iowa Health Care.
• Sheikh, M. Y., Younus, M. F., Shergill, A., et al. (2025). Diet and Lifestyle Interventions in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Comprehensive Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 26(19):9625. 
• John Baker, C., Martinez-Huenchullan, S. F., D’Souza, M., et al. (2021). Effect of exercise on hepatic steatosis: Are benefits seen without dietary intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Diabetes. 13(1):63-77.
• Engeroff, T., Groneberg, D. A. and Wilke, J. (2023). After Dinner Rest a While, After Supper Walk a Mile? A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis on the Acute Postprandial Glycemic Response to Exercise Before and After Meal Ingestion in Healthy Subjects with Patients with Impaired Glucose Intolerance. Sports Medicine. 53(4):849-869.
• Breymeyer, K. L., Lampe, J. W., McGregor, B. A., et al. (2017). Subjective Mood and Energy Levels of Healthy Weight and Overweight/Obese Healthy Adults on High-and Low-Glycemic Load Experimental Diets. Appetite. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.008.
• Hijikata, Y. and Yamada, S. (2011). Walking just after a meal seems to be more effective for weight loss than waiting for one hour to walk after a meal. International Journal of General Medicine. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S18837. 
• Marti-Aguado, D., Luis Calleja, J., Vilar-Gomez, E., et al. (2024). Low-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with increased fibrosis in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Journal of Hepatology. 81(6):930-940.