GERD? If You Are Overweight, an Acronym to Know

July 5th, 2006

Need one more reason to control your weight?  If you have a conditiion called gastoesophageal reflux disease (GERD) look no further. MSN reports that even small weight gains can increase the risk of GERD (click here).

Rates of GERD have been increasing rapidly right along with the increasing rate of obesity. A recent study found that even moderate increases in weight can increase the risk. While GERD might not seem as serious as some of the other consequences of weight gain including heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer, it can be serious. In fact severe gerd is a risk factor for esophageal cancer. While serious, conditions such as heart disease and diabetes often have no symptoms so people often lack the motivation to lose weight to prevent or control them. GERD on the other hand can be be very irritating and might be a stronger motivator for people to lose weight. It doesn’t really matter what motivates you to lose, as long as you do it in safe way, sensible way.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized, Diabetes and Chronic Disease, Weight Loss