Fatty Liver Disease Lawsuit

Lawsuits have been filed against “Big Food” companies who sell ultra-processed foods that are linked to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Fatty Liver Disease cases in all 50 states. If your child was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) from eating ultra-processed foods, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Disease Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Ultra-Processed Foods and Fatty Liver Disease

Ultra-processed foods are associated with obesity, weight-gain due to caloric excess, and physical inactivity. All of these are risk-factors for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and other health problems, like type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, and systemic inflammation.

“Consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with NAFLD with a dose-response effect,” according to a recent study involving nearly 61,000 people. In other words, the more you eat ultra-processed foods, the higher your risk of developing NAFLD.

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed foods are industrial products that are made of cheap ingredients from high-yield crops, such as refined sugars, starch, oil, or protein isolates. They may also contain preservatives, emulsifiers, added sugars or artificial sweeteners, dyes, flavors, and other ingredients that you would not find in a kitchen.

These ingredients are designed to make ultra-processed foods extremely tasty, shelf-stable, and inexpensive compared to fresh foods. It is hard for many people to resist eating ultra-processed foods, and some lawsuits have argued that “Big Food” companies have intentionally designed ultra-processed foods to be addictive.

What is Fatty Liver Disease?

Fatty liver disease occurs when fat builds up in the liver. It can be caused by heavy alcohol use, but also obesity and type-2 diabetes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) causes swelling and inflammation in the liver. There may be few symptoms in the early stages, but over time, it can progress to cirrhosis (scarring).

Types of Fatty Liver Disease

There are several names for the diseases that are caused by fat build-up in the liver (not due to alcohol use), such as:

• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
• Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
• Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH)
• Liver fat accumulation
• Hepatic steatosis
• Inflammatory hepatitis

Other Health Issues Linked to NAFLD

Many people who have NAFLD also have other health issues, including type-2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and poor eating habits. They may be eating a diet that is high in ultra-processed foods, sugars, salts, unhealthy fats, and calories, but very low in nutritional value.

Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is reversible, especially in the early stages. Treatment will involve diet and exercise, weight-loss, and medication. Losing just 5 to 10% of your body-weight can significantly reduce the amount of fat in your liver and inflammation.

The lifestyle changes to reverse fatty liver disease will often involve a diet that limits ultra-processed foods, foods with added sugar, and red meat. Exercise can also help with weight-loss and liver inflammation.

Treatment will also involve managing other health problems, such as type-2 diabetes. Patients should follow their doctor’s recommendations for managing blood-sugar levels and other health problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, etc.

Long-Term Outlook

Left untreated, there are life-threatening health risks from NAFLD. It can progress to more serious complications, like cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is a type of permanent scarring in the liver that occurs when normal liver tissue is replaced with non-living scar tissue. Cirrhosis can lead to lifelong or chronic liver disease, liver failure, cancer, and even death.

Symptoms of Liver Damage (Cirrhosis)

Cirrhosis of the liver may cause no symptoms in the early stages. As the scarring progresses, it may cause symptoms such as:

• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness
• Nausea
• Weight-loss
• Abdominal pain
• Spider-like blood vessels
• Severe itching
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• Fluid build-up and swelling
• Hepatic Encephalopathy (buildup of toxins in the brain)
• Liver cancer
• Death

Do I Have a Fatty Liver Disease Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Fatty Liver Disease cases in all 50 states. If your child was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) from eating ultra-processed foods, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Disease Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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