The aim of the present study was therefore to compare the effects of diets high in either dietary fat, dietary fructose or a combination diet with added cholesterol on development of NAFLD, dyslipidemia and inflammation in Sprague–Dawley rats. Development of NAFLD was evaluated over time both histologically and biochemically and quantitative computed tomography (qCT) was used as a non-invasive marker of hepatic steatosis, enabling monitoring of NAFLD progression throughout the study period.