How is fatty liver diagnosed? Are the symptoms of fatty liver similar to those of viral hepatitis (raised ALTs, light stools, bloody nose, photophobia, weight gain)? Might marginally high cholesterol levels indicate fatty liver? Thanks...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is usually diagnosed after an evaluation for abnormal liver enzymes in someone who has no symptoms. It is associated with obesity, elevated triglycerides, and diabetes or insulin resistance. Although someone may have fatty liver without any of these known risks. There is a lot of research going on now investigating the cause and treatment of fatty liver since it is very prevalent in the U.S. Initial therapy involves weight reduction, supervised exercise program, normalizing blood lipids, and evaluating for diabetic tendency.