Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease—A Public Health Challenge
Lucknow: India is witnessing a rapid rise in lifestyle-related diseases. Fatty liver disease and the obesity are the most important ones among them. Studies estimate that nearly 30–35% of Indian adults may have fatty liver disease, and the number is increasing every year. According to National Health and Family Health Survey report, almost 25% of Indian are obese or over weight. Unfortunately, fatty liver disease and obesity, both, are increasing among children and adolescent also.
Fatty liver disease, obesity, and diabetes are strongly associated with each other. Over half of the people with obesity or diabetes also have fatty liver disease. All the obese person or diabetic patient shall be screened for fatty liver. All those with obesity also need evaluation for underlying liver, kidney, heart diseases and diabetes.
Both the health conditions are largely occurring because of increasing use of calorie rich and fatty food which are deficient in fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants. Reduced physical activity and sedentary lifestyles are also contributing factors.
Fat or obesity makes the body resistant to insulin and results in diabetes. The fat deposited in liver causes inflammation, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In addition, fatty liver and obesity also causes heart and kidney diseases and stroke.All the obese or overweight people need evaluation for body fat measurement, blood tests, ultrasound and FibroScan to assess the liver fibrosis.
Weight loss is the key for the management for the obesity as well as fatty liver disease. Weight reduction could be achieved with regular exercise and dietary modification, supported with medications. Recently, several new drugs have been approved for weight reduction which could give new hope for these patients.
Keeping this in mind, the department of Hepatology of SGPGIMS has inaugurated a dedicated clinic for the comprehensive management of “Fatty liver disease &Obesity” at 3rd Floor D block of Advanced Diabetic Centre on 11th December 2025. The OPD was formally inaugurated by Institute’s Director, Prof. R. K. Dhiman, in the presence of Chief Medical Superintendent Prof. Devendra Gupta, Head of Department of Hepatology, Prof. Amit Goel and Prof. Subhash Yadav.
During his inaugural address, Prof. R. K. Dhiman highlighted the rapidly rising burden of fatty liver disease and obesity in India. He emphasized the urgent need for public awareness and encouraged individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles to prevent long-term complications. Dr. Devendra Gupta, in his remarks, underscored the importance of timely diagnosis and early intervention in managing fatty liver disease, noting that early detection significantly improves outcomes. Prof. Subhash Yadav, Department of Endocrinology, spoke about the critical link between obesity and liver health, stressing the importance of weight management and metabolic control in preventing liver-related disorders.
During the welcome address, Prof. Amit Goel, outlined his vision of delivering high-quality, patient-centered care, contributing to the prevention of increasing burden of Fatty liver diseases and Obesity through continuous clinical services and community awareness. He detailed the range of services provided, including advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities such as Bioimpedance Analysis, Fibroscan, Dietary and life style counselling, exercise promotion advice, use of drugs, endoscopic or andsurgical interventions.
This specialized OPD will run on every Thursday, in D-Block of Advance Diabetes Centers (ADC) in the institute with aim to provide comprehensive care through a multidisciplinary approach.
