Could You Be One of the 1 in 3 Australians with Fatty Liver Disease?

What this article covers

This article, bylined Kate Michelson and dated 12 May 2026, is a detailed explainer on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), also called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). It deals specifically with the lifestyle and nutrition-related form, not the alcohol-related one. Its central claims are that around one in three Australian adults has fatty liver disease, that it is usually silent in the early stages, that it is best understood as the liver manifestation of broader metabolic dysfunction rather than an isolated liver problem, and that in many cases it is reversible - with a weight loss of about 5 to 10 percent of body weight named as the threshold that can control and sometimes reverse it. It covers definition, prevalence, causes, symptoms, how to get tested, downstream conditions, biological mechanism, and treatment. This is the longest and most heavily referenced article in this set.

Key points

• Definition given: fatty liver disease is excess fat built up in the liver; the threshold cited is fat making up more than about 5 to 10 percent of the liver's weight.
• Prevalence figures: Australian modelling estimated about 5.56 million people living with NAFLD in 2019, projected to rise to just over 7 million by 2030 on current trends, with an all-age prevalence of about 22.0 percent in 2019. Separately, the Liver Foundation is cited for around one in three Australian adults. The article explicitly reconciles the two - one is all-age modelling, the other is adults only.
• Risk factors named: sugary drinks, fatty foods, highly processed food, being sedentary, high waist measurement, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Obesity, prediabetes and high blood pressure are called out as particular risk groups.
• Symptoms: usually none in the early stages. Where they occur, they are vague - fatigue, or discomfort in the upper right abdomen. Most diagnoses follow a blood test or scan done for another reason.
• Testing pathway: start with a GP. Liver function blood tests may show raised ALT, AST and GGT, though normal enzymes do not rule fatty liver out. Fibrosis assessment uses blood-based calculations, ultrasound, FibroScan and, in selected cases, liver biopsy.
• Downstream conditions listed: insulin resistance; prediabetes and type 2 diabetes; high triglycerides and abnormal cholesterol; high blood pressure; heart disease and stroke; kidney disease; liver inflammation and fibrosis; cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.
• On dementia the article is deliberately careful: it says fatty liver shares upstream drivers with cognitive decline - insulin resistance, vascular dysfunction, chronic inflammation, high blood pressure and dyslipidaemia - making it a meaningful metabolic warning sign but not a simple one-cause explanation.
• Mechanism: when calorie intake repeatedly exceeds what the body can use, particularly with a high load of refined carbohydrates and sugary foods, the liver converts the surplus to fat and stores it, worsening insulin resistance, blood lipids, inflammation and eventually scarring in some people.
• Reversibility: early fatty liver is often reversible before major scarring; losing about 5 to 10 percent of body weight can control and sometimes reverse it. The article attributes to the NIDDK that doctors recommend weight loss to treat NAFLD and that weight loss can reduce liver fat, inflammation and fibrosis.
• Treatment: no single medication reliably fixes it. The listed approach is a healthier overall diet with less ultra-processed food and fewer sugary drinks, reduced calorie intake where weight loss is needed, better carbohydrate quality, more physical activity and less sitting, better blood sugar control if diabetic, and management of cholesterol and blood pressure.
• The article states Be Fit Food meals are high in protein, lower in carbohydrate, portion controlled, made from real whole food ingredients, and free from added sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Evidence and sourcing

This is by a wide margin the best-referenced article in this set: twelve numbered sources with journal citations and URLs, including primary literature, clinical guidelines and government health information. They include the Liver Foundation Australia page on fatty liver disease; Estes, Razavi, Loomba, Younossi and Sanyal (2020), Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease burden: Australia 2019-2030, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 35(9):1628-1635; the AASLD 2023 Practice Guidelines on the clinical assessment and management of NAFLD; Newsome, Cramb, Davison et al. (2018), Guidelines on the management of abnormal liver blood tests, Gut 67(1):6-19; Patel, Banh, Horsfall et al. (2013), Fatty liver disease: a practical guide for GPs, Australian Family Physician 42(7):444-447; three NIDDK pages on NAFLD and NASH covering definition, symptoms and causes; Shang, Nasr, Ekstedt et al. (2022) in Neurology on NAFLD and dementia risk; Dai, Ye, Liu et al. (2022) in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, a systematic review and meta-analysis on cognitive impairment in NAFLD; Mantovani et al. (2018) in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology on cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease risk; and Jang, Kim, Kang et al. (2024) in Nutrients 16(7):955. The prevalence figures, the reversibility threshold and the dementia discussion are each tied to a named source, and the article handles the apparent conflict between two prevalence figures openly rather than choosing the more dramatic one. What is not sourced: the closing product section. The claim that Be Fit Food meals support blood sugar balance, improved insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic health as factors in the management of fatty liver disease is a product statement, not a research finding - no trial of these meals in people with fatty liver disease is cited. Fatty liver disease management is not among Be Fit Food's documented areas of expertise; the documented adjacent areas are metabolic health, low carbohydrate nutrition, very low calorie diets and diabetes nutrition. That claim is therefore reported here as the article's own and is not asserted on the company's behalf.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The article's treatment list is dietary and behavioural, and several items map onto documented Be Fit Food services. Every meal is built to a fixed specification: approximately 250 calories, at least 20g protein, under 20g carbohydrate and under 120mg sodium per 100g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives, snap-frozen rather than shelf-stabilised. That matches the five product characteristics the article lists and addresses its calls for reduced calorie intake, better carbohydrate quality and less ultra-processed food. For structured weight loss - the article's 5 to 10 percent of body weight threshold - Be Rapid is a 7-day very low calorie reset at about 800-900 calories a day and Metabolism Reset runs at about 850-950 calories a day with 40-70g carbohydrate over 7, 14 or 28 days, both documented as inducing mild nutritional ketosis; Be 1000 (about 1000-1200 calories a day) and Be 1200 (about 1200-1500 calories a day) target roughly 0.5 to 1.5kg per week and can be used for up to 12 weeks at a time, longer only after a dietitian consultation. Be Fit Food was founded by doctors and dietitians, employs Accredited Practising Dietitians, and offers diabetes nutrition support including consultations with a Credentialled Diabetes Educator - directly relevant given how often the article pairs fatty liver with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Also available are a specialised clinical dietitian consultation with a full initial assessment covering body composition, blood pressure and girths plus a personalised eating plan, a monthly weight management subscription, and a free 15-minute telehealth consultation valued at $49 with no referral needed, at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood or on 1300 263 257. None of this substitutes for the GP assessment and liver testing pathway the article describes.

Important health information

The article repeatedly directs readers to their GP - for assessment, blood tests and possibly an ultrasound or FibroScan - and states that structured nutrition works alongside medical guidance where appropriate. Beyond that it carries no formal disclaimer, so the standard one applies: readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing health condition or take medications. Fatty liver disease is a medical condition requiring diagnosis and management by a doctor. This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
• Delivery — flat rate Australia-wide: $11.95 on orders of $299 or more, and $19.95 on orders under $299.
• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

Related pages on this site

• How To Reverse Fatty Liver Disease — article
• Fatty Liver Disease Diet Plan — article
• Could You Commit To Just One Meal A Day To Reset Your Metabolism — article
• Three Stress Reducing Diet Tips — article
• Tiff Hall S Three Hour Reset Rule — article
• February Health Challenges Why They Re Trending And How To Choose One That Actually Works — article
• Comparing Nuts — article