Is this another potential problem on the healthcare horizon and will there be enough livers available in the future? Through technology we are seeing many miracles, such as bladders that have been grown from stem cells and there are people walking around with them today, but the liver is a bit more complicated to reproduce I would guess. This is a result of the R and D work with genetics combined with stem cell research, which is growing at a very rapid pace. 
But back to the issue here, obesity seems to be affecting more areas of our lives than what we could have ever anticipated. Doctors are saying that only 1 and 4 children are actually losing weight, scary statistics. Now this also makes one good case for some genomics here, as if this potential condition is known early in life, there can be some real prevention benefits, lifesaving benefits at that, so be ready for the educational process of the genomics companies as they begin their mission. BD
In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teenagers have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants.
Many more may need a new liver by their 30s or 40s, say experts warning that pediatricians need to be more vigilant. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the United States, Europe, Australia and even some developing countries, according to a surge of recent medical studies and doctors interviewed by The Associated Press.
Last spring, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended doctors do a blood test of liver enzymes every two years on obese children and overweight ones with high blood pressure or cholesterol or family history of heart disease. A trade group for children's hospitals last year gave similar advice.
Within the last several months, there's been an explosion of research published on it and the role genes may play.
ABC News: AP IMPACT: Liver Disease Plagues Obese Adolescents
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