Why fatty liver often goes unnoticed
Roughly one in three Indian adults has fat building up in the liver. Many do not know it.
Liver disease often causes no symptoms in its early stages. The liver can keep working while carrying a considerable burden, which means problems can go unnoticed for years.
What fatty liver is
A healthy liver holds a little fat. When more than about five per cent of its weight is fat, doctors call it fatty liver. If alcohol is not the cause, it is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. Doctors are increasingly using a newer name, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which better describes its link with weight, waist size and blood sugar.
How common it is
A 2022 analysis that pooled fifty Indian studies estimated that 38.6 per cent of Indian adults have fatty liver. Among people with risk factors such as diabetes or obesity, the figure rose above half. Children were not spared: the pooled estimate was over a third.
These numbers make sense alongside India's wider metabolic picture. The ICMR-INDIAB study found that nearly four in ten adults carry excess weight around the waist, the form of fat most closely tied to the liver.
Why it matters
For many people, fatty liver stays stable. For some, the fat triggers inflammation, and over years that inflammation can lead to scarring, known as fibrosis. Fatty liver is also a marker of risk elsewhere in the body, particularly for diabetes and heart disease.
What helps
The encouraging news is that the liver responds quickly to change.
- Waist before weight. A steady loss of even five to ten per cent of body weight can meaningfully reduce liver fat.
- Cut liquid sugar. Sweetened drinks and packaged juices add sugar that the liver can convert into fat.
- Move most days. Regular activity can reduce liver fat, even before weight changes.
- Be careful with alcohol. Fatty liver and alcohol are a poor combination.
- Ask about a check. If you have diabetes, a large waist or raised liver enzymes, ask your doctor whether an ultrasound or a simple fibrosis score is right for you.
Small, consistent changes, sustained over months, are what make the difference.
Sources
This article is for general education and does not replace advice from a qualified doctor.