The Correlation between Body Fat, Visceral Fat, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background: This study investigated the correlation between body fat, visceral fat, and the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, participants were required to be 20 years or older, and free of liver disease (comprising either the hepatitis C virus antibody or hepatitis B surface antigen), cirrhosis, and malignant or biliary diseases. A total of 2759 participants were collected for this study. Demographic and biochemical data were collected by chart review. For estimating body fat and visceral fat, anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance analyses were conducted, whereas fatty livers were diagnosed through an abdominal ultrasound. Results: The waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), body fat, visceral fat, and metabolic syndrome (MS) were associated with NAFLD. A larger WC, higher BMI, higher levels of body and visceral fat, and the MS significantly correlated with the presence of a fatty liver. Additionally, the receiver operating characteristic suggested that the visceral fat cutoff point was 70.5 cm² (Youden's index = 0.4352). Conclusions: Visceral fat is a strong predictor of NAFLD.