Causes of Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver develops when the liver takes in or makes more fat than it can use or clear. Several factors usually combine.

Common causes and risk factors

• Excess body weight, especially fat around the waist
• Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
• High triglycerides or cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks and fried food
• Regular heavy alcohol use, which causes alcohol-related fatty liver
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Sleep apnoea
• Rapid weight loss or poor nutrition
• Some medicines, such as certain steroids, tamoxifen and methotrexate, if a doctor has warned about them
• Viral hepatitis C and some rare metabolic or genetic conditions

Lean fatty liver

Some people with normal weight also get fatty liver. South Asians tend to store fat around the belly and organs at a lower body weight, so risk can be present even without obesity.

Genes

Family history and certain gene variants raise the risk.

The Ayurvedic view

Ayurveda links such conditions to Kapha and Meda (fat tissue) imbalance, with weak digestion (mandagni), inactivity and heavy, oily food. This is an interpretive framework and does not replace the modern explanation.

Why it matters

Most causes are modifiable. Weight, activity, diet, sugar control and alcohol are the main levers, and a doctor can help work out which ones apply to you.

Often overlooked contributors

Long hours of sitting, late heavy dinners, frequent sugary snacks and chronic stress can all add to the problem over time.