Could losing weight help with heartburn?

Heartburn, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a common digestive disease that happens when your stomach acids flow back into your esophagus. Michael Roizen, MD, explains how losing weight can cut symptoms or even cure GERD.

Transcript

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One study found that 66% of people with GERD who lost weight were able to cure their reflux

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and their heartburn. [MUSIC PLAYING]

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I'm Dr. Mike Roizen, with a healthy tip for heartburn relief. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is called GERD.

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It's a common digestive disorder. It happens when your stomach acids flow back into your esophagus.

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But there's a simple solution to help you lower your risk of chronic heartburn in the future.

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Lose weight. About half of obese people have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD.

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One study found that 66% of people with GERD who lost weight were able to cure their reflux

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and their heartburn. For obese women, the secret was losing 5% of body weight, or trimming just two to four inches from their waist.

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For obese men, the solution was losing 10% of body weight, or the equivalent of four inches from waist.

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Another reason the participants get rid of the GERD-- they replace those old, empty calories of French fries

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and junk and baked goods with vital fruits and veggies that make them stronger. And they walked an hour a day with a buddy, which made

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that dieting smart, not hard. [AUDIO LOGO]