Obesity
Another acid reflux driver is obesity, afflicting about 36.5 percent of adults in the U.S., according to CDC. Obesity can also increase the risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus and other conditions involving the cells in the esophagus. In addition, people afflicted with obesity acquire extra fat and central obesity, wherein more fat accumulates around the middle of the body.
Experts say that the extra abdominal fat puts more pressure on the stomach, which forces acid to rise to the esophagus. In addition, people with clinical obesity (weighing more than 100 pounds over the ideal weight based on height) have more estrogen circulating in their bodies. Excess estrogen triggers the development of acid reflux. Women who use hormone therapy after menopause are also at risk of developing the disease.
One solution is to lose weight, but it should be a complete regimen of dietary changes, exercises, prescribed medication, support, and counseling. Doctors caution against extreme diets, which can increase obesity, instead of preventing it. Medical researchers say that enlarging the stomach due to obesity or frequent overeating makes the lower esophageal sphincter weaker and shorter. This damage to the LES is irreversible, as the LES cannot regain its strength.
