NEW DELHI: A comprehensive nationwide clinical study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has revealed troubling insights into India’s metabolic health, reporting that 38.6% of adults and 35.4% of children suffer from Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), also designated as Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). The high incidence among pediatric and adolescent groups has triggered serious warnings from medical practitioners and public health specialists.
Conducted by researchers in the Department of Gastroenterology at AIIMS, the study found that hepatic fat accumulation is increasingly prevalent even among individuals with normal body mass indexes (‘lean MASLD’). Medical experts attributed this surge to the widespread consumption of ultra-processed foods, high-sugar beverages, prolonged screen time, and sedentary lifestyles. Physicians warned that unchecked hepatic fat accumulation significantly elevates the long-term risk of developing liver fibrosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular complications.
The researchers emphasized that fatty liver disease remains fully reversible in its early stages through lifestyle modification. Experts urged institutional interventions, including mandatory nutrition awareness in schools, routine metabolic screening in primary healthcare checkups, and dietary reforms focused on reducing refined carbohydrates, eliminating trans fats, and incorporating daily physical exercise for children and adults.