Fatty liver disease (steatosis) is a common condition caused by having too much fat build up in your liver. A healthy liver contains a small amount of fat. It becomes a problem when fat reaches 5% to 10% of your live's weight.

In most cases, fatty liver disease doesn't cause any serious problems or prevent your liver from functioning normally. But for 7% to 30% of people with the condition, fatty liver disease gets worse over time. It progresses through three stages:

• Your liver becomes inflamed (swollen), which damages its tissue. This stage is called steatohepatitis.

• Scar tissue forms where your liver is damaged. This process is called fibrosis.
• Extensive scar tissue replaces healthy tissue. At this point, you have cirrhosis of the liver.

Cirrhosis of the liver is a result of severe damage to the liver. The hard scar tissue that replaces healthy liver tissue slows down the liver's functioning. Eventually, it can block liver function entirely. Cirrhosis can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.