Does a Fatty Liver Cause a Pot Belly?

Jul 13, 2011 | By Matthew Busse

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Fatty liver, or nonalcoholic fatty fiver disease, is a health condition affecting approximately 10 to 20 percent of Americans, reports the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The condition itself rarely causes any symptoms or visible changes, but fatty liver disease may often be a precursor to more serious liver conditions. If you suspect you are at risk for fatty liver disease, consult your doctor for a diagnosis.

 

Definition

 

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, often abbreviated NAFLD or simply called fatty liver, is characterized by the accumulated of excess fat in the liver, as the name suggests, explains the the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. While the fat deposits may cause the liver to become slightly enlarged, the effect is not usually visible. Fatty liver is typically diagnosed by a liver biopsy, a procedure in which a sample of liver tissue is removed with a long needle and examined under a microscope.

 

Symptoms

 

Fatty liver usually does not cause any symptoms and often goes undiagnosed. Fatty liver does cause weight gain or changes in fat accumulation in the rest of the body, such as a pot belly. Left untreated, however, fatty liver can eventually lead to inflammation of the liver, a condition known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, warns the Harvard Medical School. The inflammation resulting from NASH can damage the liver, leading to scarring of the liver, known as cirrhosis. Severe cirrhosis can lead to liver failure.

 

Causes

 

Rather than cause visible symptoms such as a pot belly, fatty liver may actually be caused by a pot belly or obesity. Although the exact mechanism causing fatty liver disease is poorly understood, it appears to be linked to obesity and insulin resistance. In fact, among obese individuals, the rate of fatty liver disease is between approximately 60 to 75 percent, reports an article published in the January 2005 issue of the medical journal "Digestive Diseases and Sciences."

 

Treatment

 

The best available treatment for fatty liver disease is weight loss. No treatments are known that can directly treat fatty liver disease without reducing the underlying risk factor of obesity, according to the article published in "Digestive Diseases and Sciences." Additionally, weight loss can help with many of the other health risks associated with fatty liver, including insulin resistance and diabetes.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/491594-does-a-fatty-liver-cause-a-pot-belly/