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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. May 27, 2014; 6(5): 263-273
Published online May 27, 2014. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i5.263
Published online May 27, 2014. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i5.263
Obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Disparate associations among Asian populations
Robert J Wong, Aijaz Ahmed, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
Author contributions: Wong RJ and Ahmed A contributed to the study concept and design; Wong RJ contributed to the systematic review, data collection and drafting of the manuscript; Ahmed A contributed to the critical review of the manuscript; Wong RJ and Ahmed A contributed to the revision and finalization of the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Aijaz Ahmed, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 750 Welch Road, Suite 210, Palo Alto, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. aijazahmed@stanford.edu
Telephone: +1-650-4986091 Fax: +1-650-4985692
Received: October 25, 2013
Revised: January 15, 2014
Accepted: April 25, 2014
Published online: May 27, 2014
Revised: January 15, 2014
Accepted: April 25, 2014
Published online: May 27, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rapidly becoming a major contributor of chronic liver disease worldwide. The increasing prevalence of NAFLD among Asians reflects both an increasing awareness and diagnosis and the increasing risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases among this population. Ethnic disparities in the impact of weight gain on the development of obesity-related diseases is especially important for Asian populations, who have greater rates of central obesity and visceral deposition of fat and therefore are at greater risk of obesity-related diseases, such as NAFLD, at a lower body mass index.