NASH: a mitochondrial disease

Despite our tendency to overeat, excessive fat accumulation was prevented in the past, as any excess weight soon impaired the physical fitness required to gather food, and to either fight or escape predators or foes. However, for the first time in human history, a large fraction of the population in affluent countries can now concomitantly indulge in rich food and physical idleness. The imbalance between food intake and the limited amount of fuels that can be burnt by mitochondria in inactive persons causes obesity, whose prevalence is increasing in affluent countries [1].