NAFLD prevalence and severity in overweight and obese populations

Being overweight or obese are among the main risk factors for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is considered to be the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide. The most important driver of NAFLD is dysfunctional visceral adipose tissue.1 NAFLD developing in the absence of visceral fat accumulation is rare2 and probably represents a distinct entity. Despite BMI being a poor indicator for visceral adiposity, and increased visceral adiposity frequently being observed as an underlying factor in people with NAFLD who are considered lean,3 people who are overweight or obese are at high risk of developing NAFLD compared with lean people.