I started getting heartburn more often after I gained a few pounds. Can weight loss help prevent heartburn?
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Absolutely. Being overweight or obese is a significant risk factor for heartburn. Losing as few as 10 to 15 pounds can help relieve symptoms in overweight patients who experience heartburn. Simple weight-loss techniques include eating a healthy breakfast every morning, avoiding sweet beverages such as juices and soft drinks, doing without fast food, eating appropriate serving sizes of all foods and engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day.
About the expert: Goutham Rao, M.D., is clinical director at the Weight Management and Wellness Center, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (of UPMC); associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPMC); and family physician at Bloomfield-Garfield Family Health Center in Pittsburgh.
Rao has served as director of medical informatics at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital. He is course director for introduction to medical decision-making at the UPMC, associate editor at the American College of Physicians Journal Club, and editorial board member and acquisitions editor at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Home Study Self-Assessment (HSSA) program in Kansas City, Mo. Rao serves as assistant editor of the Journal of Family Practice and editorial board member of Family Medicine. Rao has also served as a member of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute/Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement®/National Committee for Quality Assurance GERD standards committee.
The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis or recommended treatments. For severe heartburn or heartburn that persists after trying over-the-counter treatment or lifestyle modifications, visit your doctor to determine the right treatment for you. See the Terms and Conditions for more information.
