What causes fatty liver?

Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
Updated on April 14, 2025
00:00
00:00

Fatty liver refers to a pathological condition characterized by the accumulation of excessive fat in liver cells, caused by various factors and marked by diffuse fatty changes in liver cells, constituting a clinical syndrome. When too much fat accumulates inside liver cells, it impairs normal liver function, a condition we refer to as fatty liver. The main causes include long-term diets high in fats, calories, and sugars leading to obesity-induced fatty liver, chronic alcohol consumption leading to alcoholic fatty liver, and hereditary obesity factors causing fatty liver. Based on the extent of fatty degeneration in liver cells, fatty liver can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe fatty liver. Fatty liver could potentially lead to liver cirrhosis, which may cause liver cancer. Upon diagnosis of fatty liver, dietary control, abstaining from alcohol, and active exercise are necessary for treatment.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
1min home-news-image

What should people with fatty liver not eat?

Patients with fatty liver should not drink alcohol or eat greasy, rich, and heavy foods such as fatty meats and fried foods, nor should they consume animal organs. They should eat more fruits and vegetables and more coarse grains. At the same time, they should increase physical activity, as exercise can promote the metabolism of fats and has a positive effect for patients with fatty liver. Additionally, patients with fatty liver should not overwork or stay up late, as fatigue and lack of sleep can damage liver cells, leading to an increase in transaminase levels. This is especially detrimental for patients with fatty liver, as they are more susceptible to liver cell damage. Moreover, excessive anxiety or being prone to anger can also harm the liver, and is harmful to patients with fatty liver; thus, it is important to maintain a relaxed mood.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Xue Qing
Gastroenterology
36sec home-news-image

What department should I visit for fatty liver?

Fatty liver is a disease that indicates a metabolic disorder and is considered a type of digestive system disease, as well as a liver disease. In top-tier hospitals, there is generally a hepatology department where one can seek treatment at their outpatient clinic. In slightly less equipped county-level secondary hospitals or third-tier hospitals, which do not have a hepatology outpatient clinic, one can visit the gastroenterology outpatient clinic. Additionally, basic health clinics, which do not have a gastroenterology outpatient clinic, require visiting a general internal medicine outpatient clinic.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
1min 2sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of fatty liver? Is fatty liver serious?

If you have fatty liver disease, the symptoms are essentially the same as those of chronic hepatitis B and C, which include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, aversion to oily foods, and fatigue. Additionally, patients with fatty liver disease may experience a sensation of swelling and pain in the liver area. At this point, further liver function tests such as measuring transaminase and bilirubin levels can be conducted, and performing a hepatobiliary ultrasound can definitively diagnose the condition. If the fatty liver is due to obesity, it is advisable to strictly control food intake and engage in active and reasonable exercise for weight loss, as fatty liver can be reversed. However, if the fatty liver is due to long-term excessive alcohol consumption, it is recommended to strictly quit smoking and drinking, combined with reasonable exercise and diet control, as fatty liver can also be reversed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
1min 3sec home-news-image

What causes fatty liver?

Fatty liver refers to a pathological condition characterized by the accumulation of excessive fat in liver cells, caused by various factors and marked by diffuse fatty changes in liver cells, constituting a clinical syndrome. When too much fat accumulates inside liver cells, it impairs normal liver function, a condition we refer to as fatty liver. The main causes include long-term diets high in fats, calories, and sugars leading to obesity-induced fatty liver, chronic alcohol consumption leading to alcoholic fatty liver, and hereditary obesity factors causing fatty liver. Based on the extent of fatty degeneration in liver cells, fatty liver can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe fatty liver. Fatty liver could potentially lead to liver cirrhosis, which may cause liver cancer. Upon diagnosis of fatty liver, dietary control, abstaining from alcohol, and active exercise are necessary for treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
1min 17sec home-news-image

How to treat the symptoms of fatty liver disease?

The treatment of fatty liver symptoms primarily requires distinguishing the type of fatty liver, which includes alcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver (simple fatty liver), and steatohepatitis. For alcoholic fatty liver, the first step is to abstain from alcohol. Additionally, it is important to avoid high-fat and greasy foods in the diet. When alcoholic liver damage occurs, if the liver function is severely impaired, treatment with liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications may be necessary. For nonalcoholic fatty liver, which is caused by being overweight or having a large waist circumference, treatment involves controlling weight and reducing waist size. Combined with appropriate physical exercise, reducing weight and waist size can help improve fatty liver. The diet should also limit high-fat, greasy, and high-sugar foods, focusing on light and easily digestible food, supplemented with an adequate amount of protein. For people with steatohepatitis, treatment usually involves intravenous infusions of liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications.