KNOW FATTY LIVER: ACT BEFORE IT'S LATE

Fatty liver is defined as the accumulation of fat in more than 5% of hepatocytes.

- DR ROHINI HD

Fatty liver now a days called as Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) until recently it was called as NAFLD. The more serious form of this is Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

The prevalence of adult NAFLD in India has been reported between 6.7% and 55.1%. The prevalence of paediatric NAFLD in India varies from 7.3% to 22.4% in the healthy population².

The prevalence of NAFLD increases with age. While it was once considered a condition primarily affecting adults, it is now increasingly being observed in children. This rise is largely attributed to the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-going children. One of the key contributing factors is the high consumption of junk food, which often contains ultra-processed ingredients and excessive amounts of sugar.

Additionally, physical activity among children has significantly declined. Several reasons contribute to this trend, including lack of time for play, limited access to open spaces near homes or schools, absence of nearby friends, parental restrictions on outdoor play, and in some cases, the child’s own disinterest in playing outside. All these factors combined are creating a concerning environment that predisposes children to fatty liver disease at an early age. Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance of energy intake (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity)

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has a strong association with conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism, Hyperlipidemia, and Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD). Individuals with these conditions are at a significantly higher risk of developing fatty liver.