The most common — and most overlooked — liver condition
Most people feel completely fine — it's often found by accident on a scan or blood test.
Roughly one in four Australian adults, and far more if you have diabetes or carry extra weight around the middle.
Most people with fatty liver are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke — that's the bigger conversation.
Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a fuller waistline tend to travel together.
In some people, fat leads to inflammation (MASH), then scarring. Most never get this far — but it's why we check.
Liver fat starts dropping within weeks of healthy changes — and even scarring can improve with enough weight loss.
Just 5% reduces liver fat; 7% reduces inflammation; 10% can reverse early scarring — you don't need to be perfect, just steady.
Lots of veg, olive oil, fish and nuts; fewer refined carbs and ultra-processed foods. The single best-studied diet for fatty liver.
Soft drinks, juice and energy drinks go straight to liver fat. This one swap moves the needle quickly.
A mix of walking, cycling or swimming with some resistance work twice a week — it lowers liver fat even before the scale shifts.
2–3 cups of coffee a day (caffeinated or not) is linked to less liver scarring — one of the few habits with consistent evidence.
Even 'social' drinking pushes fatty liver along. Less is better — and breaks of several days a week help your liver recover.
Print-ready A4 PDF to take home or hand to a patient.
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