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Obesity increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. The Body Mass Index (BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height and is the benchmark that dictates whether you are obese.

A person with a BMI of over 30 is obese and anyone with a BMI of over 40 is very obese. You should aim to maintain your BMI between 18.5 and 25.

Extra weight around your waist increases the risk of acid reflux. An apple shaped person will gain weight around the waistline. The extra weight will put pressure on the abdomen. This increases the intra-abdominal pressure and can force gastric contents back up into the esophagus.

A study of women on HRT showed that women with a BMI of over 35 was significantly more likely to develop acid reflux than someone with a BMI of 18-20.

The bottom line is. If you have acid reflux symptoms and you are obese, then losing weight is a good form of acid reflux treatment. You will be amazed how a small weight loss can make a significant improvement on acid reflux.

Dr. Phil Hariram.