The holiday season is a tough time to think about weight loss. Who wants to think about weight loss when we are too busy relishing that extra serving or two of holiday indulgence? Enjoying the holiday season often times translates into overeating and not making time for exercise. As a result we gain a few holiday pounds (or more) and find ourselves making a nose dive for our favorite antacid. I would speculate the sales of OTC (Over The Counter) antacids and prescription medicines to treat GERD rises during the holidays.

Why is this? There is a strong link between gaining weight, being overweight or obese with GERD. Think about where many of us gain weight – our bellies. All of that extra belly weight puts pressure on our stomach which in turn causes stomach contents to back up into our esophagus. The result is that familiar discomfort associated with GERD - indigestion, heart burn, acid reflux and nausea.

In many cases the cure for GERD is losing weight. Generally, women find losing just 5% of their body weight results in a significant improvement in GERD. Sorry gents, it generally takes about a 10% weight loss. What does this amount of weight loss look like? For a 200 pound woman, it translates into mere ten pounds weight loss. For a 250 pound man, a 10% weight loss is twenty-five pounds.

New Years resolutions may come early this year…..