How Your Weight Affects Heartburn

By Carol Ann Rinzler and Ken DeVault, MD

Part of the Heartburn and Reflux For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Carrying extra body weight, especially around your middle, raises your risk for heartburn. So how do you know if you’re at risk? A BMI (body mass index) higher than 24 is considered overweight. BMI is a gender-free measurement that relates height to weight. To find out your BMI:

BMI = (W/H²) × 705

Translation:

Your weight (in pounds)

Divided by your height (in inches, squared)

Multiplied by 705