In clinical practice, the most dangerous diseases are often the quietest.
Fatty liver disease is one of them.
Patients rarely come in complaining of liver pain. In fact, many are surprised—even shocked—when told their ultrasound shows fat in the liver or early fibrosis. “Doc, hindi naman ako umiinom,” (I don’t drink alcohol) is a common response.
And that is precisely the problem.
We have long associated liver disease with alcohol. But today, we are witnessing a shift. The liver is now being injured not just by what we drink—but by what we eat, how we move, and how we live.
Excess calories, refined carbohydrates, sedentary habits, and metabolic disease are placing a continuous burden on the liver. Over time, fat accumulates, inflammation follows, and silent damage progresses.
The tragedy is timing.
By the time symptoms appear—fatigue, swelling, jaundice—the disease is often advanced. At that stage, options become limited, costly, and life-altering.
But fatty liver disease offers something rare in medicine: a window of reversibility.
Early intervention—weight control, improved diet, physical activity, and metabolic management—can halt or even reverse the disease.
This is why awareness matters.
We must begin to look beyond symptoms and toward risk. We must screen earlier, educate better, and intervene sooner. Because the liver does not complain.
It simply endures—until it can no longer do so.
Dr. Eugene Ramos and the Journey of ‘Excess Baggage’
In every meaningful endeavor, there comes a moment when a voice enters not merely to contribute—but to enrich, to deepen, and to elevate the conversation.
It is with great warmth and anticipation that we welcome Dr. Eugene Ramos to the Health & Lifestyle family.
A distinguished cardiologist, respected corporate leader, and thoughtful writer, Dr. Ramos brings with him not only decades of professional excellence, but something even more valuable—a life lived with reflection, insight, and purpose.
Dr. Ramos’ career spans the breadth of medicine, leadership, and industry. From his clinical work at The Medical City to his leadership as former Group CEO of The Medical City Enterprise, his contributions have shaped both patient care and healthcare systems in the country.
Yet beyond titles and achievements lies another dimension—his enduring relationship with the written word.
From his early days as Editor-in-Chief of the Varsitarian (official campus newspaper of the University of Santo Tomas) to his columns in the PHA Newsbriefs (Philippine Heart Association), Dr. Ramos has always understood that medicine is not practiced only in clinics and hospitals—it is also lived, observed, questioned, and shared.
We are especially honored that he brings to H&L his long-standing column, Excess Baggage.
At first glance, the title evokes weight—something to be shed. But as Dr. Ramos beautifully reframes it, Excess Baggage is a metaphor for life itself.
A journey. A paradox.
For while we are taught to travel light, life inevitably fills us—with experiences, memories, lessons, burdens, and blessings. And yet, perhaps true lightness does not come from discarding these, but from understanding them… and sharing them.
In doing so, we remain connected—to others, and to ourselves.
In the pages of H&L, Dr. Ramos will write across the many landscapes he has traversed:
–The practice of medicine in the Philippines
–The realities of our socioeconomic condition
–The evolving healthcare system
–And the personal reflections drawn from a life richly lived
His voice is one of clarity without arrogance, wisdom without pretense, and depth without heaviness.
At H&L, we believe that health is not only about the body—it is about the totality of human experience. Dr. Ramos embodies this belief.
Through Excess Baggage, he invites us not just to read—but to reflect, to pause, and perhaps to travel a little lighter, even as we carry the fullness of our own lives.
Welcome, Dr. Ramos.
We are honored to have you with us. And we look forward to journeying with you—through every story, every insight, and every piece of “baggage” that, when shared, becomes lighter for us all.
