Commentary
Obesity has been identified as a major risk factor for the development of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the influence of dynamic changes in adiposity over the life course on NAFLD risk remains poorly understood. MN Kim et al. collected data from 110,054 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. They documented 3,798 NAFLD cases over a total of 20 years of follow-up. Within this large cohort, early adulthood weight gain was significantly and independently associated with an increased risk of developing NAFLD in mid-life. Furthermore, the trajectory of body shape between early- and mid-life was also significantly associated with incident NAFLD, regardless of underlying BMI.
Given the increasing prevalence of NAFLD, this article encourages a prevention strategy with the development of public health approaches to maintain a healthy weight and body shape throughout life.
