Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods, like packaged snacks and sugary drinks, might be linked to more fat building up in the liver among adults in the U.S., according to a liver scan measure. People who eat the most of these foods tend to have higher liver fat levels, even when other health habits are taken into account.

If you have a bigger waist, eating more processed foods might be more strongly linked to fat building up in your liver.

If you have obesity, eating ultra-processed foods might be even worse for your liver — it could lead to more fat building up there compared to people without obesity.

People who eat a lot of heavily processed foods like chips, sugary snacks, and frozen meals are more likely to have fat buildup in their liver, even if they’re not overweight.

Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods might be riskier for younger adults' liver health — people under 50 have a nearly 30% higher chance of developing fatty liver disease compared to older adults who eat similarly.

Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods, like packaged snacks and sugary drinks, might increase your chances of developing fatty liver disease by 22% compared to people who eat very little of these foods.