Abstract
In the management and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranging from hepatic steatosis (HS) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the goals in patients without NASH or hepatic fibrosis are weight reduction through lifestyle modification such as nutritional and exercise intervention and control of associated metabolic morbidities including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Weight reduction of at least 3% to 5% could improve steatosis, and the characteristics of NASH histopathology with a dose-response curve between the degree of weight loss and improvement of histopathology. The patients with NAFLD could achieve weight reduction with hypocaloric diet with or without exercise, but not with exercise alone. Despite the absence of a weight loss effect of exercise alone, it may prevent or alleviate HS and associated metabolic parameters.
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