Why young adults of normal weight are increasingly facing silent fatty liver disease

Fatty liver disease is rising among young adults in their 20s and 30s, often affecting individuals who have a normal body weight, avoid alcohol and exercise occasionally. Dr Pankaj Sharma, director of surgery at Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh, warns that the condition develops quietly without obvious symptoms and is frequently discovered during routine health checks or ultrasounds.

Causes And Risk Factors

Abdominal fat, insulin resistance, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle drive fat accumulation in the liver. Contributing factors include long working hours, frequent food delivery, sugary drinks, highly processed foods, poor sleep and low physical activity. Dr Sharma notes that genetics and a higher susceptibility among Indians to metabolic problems at lower body weights also increase risk. This means people can carry significant visceral fat without appearing visibly overweight. While early fatty liver rarely causes distinct signs, some individuals report fatigue or upper right abdominal discomfort.

Prevention And Treatment

Experts stress that waist circumference, blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and liver tests offer a better picture of metabolic health than body weight alone. Addressing the condition requires changing overall lifestyle habits rather than seeking quick detox fixes. Recommendations include cutting back on sugar and processed foods, increasing protein and fibre intake, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy waist. For those with obesity or metabolic complications, Dr Ameet Mandot, director of hepatology at Gleneagles Hospital Parel, notes that losing around 5% of body weight can reduce liver fat, though reversibility depends on how advanced the disease is and whether inflammation or fibrosis is present.

Context

Fatty liver disease is closely tied to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Early lifestyle modifications can often reverse liver fat accumulation before permanent damage occurs.