Obesity is not only a matter of weight — it is a major metabolic disease driver closely linked to type 2 diabetes and liver disease.

People living with obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²) show a markedly higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes and Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). In many cases, both conditions progress silently, reaching advanced and more complex stages before symptoms appear.

This reality makes one principle increasingly clear: prevention starts with early diagnosis.

Identifying individuals at risk in early stages allows for:

  • Earlier therapeutic intervention
  • Better metabolic control
  • Slower disease progression
  • Reduced risk of complications and hospitalizations


Scientific evidence supports this shift toward early, non-invasive stratification. A peer-reviewed study published in United European Gastroenterology Journal demonstrated that a one-step, metabolomics-based, non-invasive approach can accurately detect MASLD and liver fibrosis in high-risk populations:

📄 Iruzubieta P. et al., 2024 (doi:10.1002/ueg2.12589)

In populations with obesity, where diabetes and liver disease frequently coexist, tools that enable early, precise and non-invasive risk assessment are becoming essential to move healthcare from late-stage treatment to true prevention.

Technologies such as OWLiver® support this paradigm shift, helping clinicians identify disease earlier and intervene before irreversible liver damage and complex metabolic complications develop.

References:
Iruzubieta, P., Castro, A., García-Monzón, C., et al. (2024). One-step non-invasive diagnosis of MASLD and fibrosis in high-risk population. United European Gastroenterology Journal, 12, 919–929. https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.12589

Pereira-Bouzas, P., Vicente, E., Pachón, M., Gonzalo, E., Hidalgo-Vega, Á., & García, E. (2025). Valor social de un mejor control de la obesidad en España. Fundación Weber. https://doi.org/10.37666/I30-2025

Fundación Weber, & Eli Lilly and Company. (2025, November 4). El valor social de un mejor control de la obesidad en España [Press release e Infografía]. Eli Lilly España.