What is fatty liver disease?
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a wide spectrum of liver diseases ranging from the most common, fatty liver (accumulation of fat in the liver, also known as steatosis), to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, fat in the liver causing liver inflammation), to cirrhosis (irreversible, advanced scarring of the liver as a result of chronic inflammation of the liver). All stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are now believed to be due to insulin resistance, a condition closely associated with obesity. In fact, the Body Mass Index (BMI) correlates with the degree of liver damage; the greater the BMI the greater the liver damage. You can calculate your BMI at www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is currently the most common liver disease in the United States and worldwide, affecting an estimated 10-24 percent of the world’s population, according to Medicine Net.com. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approxi
