Which is a common risk factor for fatty liver?

• A. Viral hepatitis C with cirrhosis
• B. Obesity
• C. Severe dehydration
• D. Biliary obstruction

Answer: (B)

Obesity is the most common risk factor for fatty liver because excess body weight drives fat buildup in the liver. When someone is obese, more fatty acids flow from enlarged fat tissue into the bloodstream and into the liver, and insulin resistance shifts liver metabolism toward producing and storing fat while reducing fat oxidation. This combination leads to hepatic steatosis, the hallmark of fatty liver disease, especially the non-alcoholic form linked to metabolic syndrome.

The other conditions listed don’t typically cause the classic fat accumulation in liver cells. Viral hepatitis C with cirrhosis reflects chronic liver injury and scarring rather than primary fat deposition; severe dehydration affects hydration and perfusion but not fat accumulation in hepatocytes; biliary obstruction causes cholestasis and injury from bile buildup, not the fat-laden state seen in fatty liver.