A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 and above for an individual indicates overweight; BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity. Obesity enhances the risk of many life threatening disorders like hypertension, cardiovascular problems, diabetes etc and is also a leading cause for Gastrointestinal Reflux Disorder (GERD) and associated heartburn.

Two most important causes of obesity are eating the wrong type of foods and lack of physical exercise. High-fat foods, chocolates, beverages like coffee, caffeinated, carbonated or alcoholic beverages etc. induce obesity and digestive distress.

Eating in quantities in excess of what is actually required to sustain normal body activity corresponding to age, profession and state of health and improper timing of taking food also contribute to obesity and digestion related problems. Lack of physical exercise is another pertinent factor-among other disorders, it lowers digestive efficiency and also leads to accumulation of body fat, thereby making persons overweight and eventually obese.

The food that we take is digested in the stomach with the help of gastric juices. One important constituent of the gastric juices is Hydrochloric acid. The stomach is connected to the mouth by a narrow tube running through the chest known as the esophagus. The esophagus opens to the stomach through a non-return valve known as the Lower Esophageal Sphincter that allows the food bolus to pass down to the stomach and prevents its reverse flow to the esophagus.

Various lifestyle factors and other conditions like obesity, digestive deficiencies etc. destroy this non-return function of the esophageal sphincter and cause the partly digested matter in the stomach mixed with hydrochloric acid flow back into the esophagus and creates a burning sensation on its wall under the influence of the acid. This burning sensation is the heartburn as we commonly know and is typically felt in the chest just behind the breastbone.

Since, both obesity and heartburn are related to food habit, by avoiding foods rich in dietary fats and spices that promote acidity, chocolates, sweets, beverages and alcoholic drinks, obesity can be controlled significantly and heartburn symptoms can be eliminated to a great extent.

Health foods with balanced proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins, lots of green vegetables and fruits, foods rich in dietary fiber and plenty of fluids can reduce stress on the digestive system and promote absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients for optimal body functioning without putting on a lot of weight. Losing weight can improve heartburn symptoms and studies show that just 10% drop in weight can improve heartburn symptoms.

The Government is concerned with this obesity trend. To encourage and help the citizens improve their eating habits, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have published Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Through hectic campaigns, research, policy, environment building and intensive monitoring, the Government is determined to reverse the trend.