Do you suffer from acid reflux?

GERD (gastroesophageal reflex disease – acid reflux/heartburn) and carrying too much fat around your middle go together like salt and pepper. About half of obese people have GERD, and as you would expect it makes people miserable. Extra fat hanging off the stomach pulls it down and this then straightens the angle where the esophagus (the tube that carries swallowed food to your stomach) joins it. When there’s no angle at that juncture, stomach acid spills upward and burn the esophagus. Furthermore, pressure on the stomach from deep belly fat increases the backwash.

Taking the above into consideration, even losing even a little weight (because that allows the angle to return) may cure GERD.

That’s what happened for 66% of people with GERD in a recent study. For obese women, the magic number for improving heartburn and other GI symptoms was losing just 5% of their body weight and taking 2–4 inches off their waists whereas men got relief when they lost 10% and 4 inches from their waists.

Also consider another reason why so many people who lost weight got better; they replaced most of the calories they used to spend on alcohol, chocolate, fat, and other GERD triggers with lots more fruits and vegetables. They also exercised up to an hour (5 days a week) and presumably they did what we tell anyone with heartburn to do, and that is avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime. Put blocks under the head posts of your bed so you sleep with your upper body slightly elevated and also skip other trigger foods = such as coffee, pepper, tomatoes, and orange juice.

Check out our podcast ‘Making The Change’ for helpful hints and tips to live a healthier lifestyle!