High cholesterol is a problem that anyone can have. Whether you are fat or skinny, young or old, it is possible to have high cholesterol.
But there is a relationship between obesity and high cholesterol. Obesity is one of the risk factors for getting high cholesterol. And the behaviors and activities that can prevent high cholesterol can also prevent and reduce obesity.
What causes weight gain?
Obesity has many factors. The most basic factor is calories. If you eat more calories than your body uses, your body stores it as fat and you gain weight. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 extra calories.
Some other factors are:
- What you eat
- How much you exercise
- Heredity
- Eating out
- Lack of sleep
If your family has poor eating and lifestyle habits, chances are you will too. If you are really busy, you might not take the time to cook. But eating out a lot causes fat and portion control issues, which lead to weight gain.
Other considerations
If you want to lose weight, you will need to examine your life. Not only must you change your lifestyle, but you may have to examine your personal and emotional health as well. These factors also contribute to obesity:
- Depression and other emotional concerns
- Trauma
- Low self-esteem
- Alcohol use and abuse
- Medicines you are taking
What causes high cholesterol?
Keep in mind that many of your personal choices will determine whether or not you have high cholesterol:
- Being inactive
- Eating an unhealthy diet
- Becoming obese
- Choosing to smoke or continue smoking
- Developing diabetes
- Having high blood pressure
- Heredity
You might have noticed that several of these risk factors are also risk factors for obesity
So you’re obese and have high cholesterol- what do you do?
The first thing you must do is make lifestyle changes. It’s not easy, but it will make a big difference.
First, you need to lose weight. It makes a big difference. Even losing 5 or 10 pounds will help your cholesterol. Check a body mass index, or BMI, chart to find out the best weight range for your height and gender. Just type “BMI” into your search engine.
Next, eat good, heart-healthy foods. This will also help you lose weight.
- Eat good fats: these unsaturated fats come from plants. Make sure you consume less than 10 percent of your daily calories from saturated fat and avoid trans fats completely
- Eat less cholesterol: 300 mg per day (or less) or <200 mg per day if you have heart disease
- Eat whole grains: whole-grain breads, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, oat bran, flax and oatmeal all have important nutrients and fiber.
- Fruits and vegetables are always good. Make sure to eat seasonal fruits and veggies too.
- Eat fish: cod, halibut and tuna have less fat than poultry and meat. Mackerel, herring and salmon have omega-3 fatty acids.
- Drink less alcohol: having one drink (women) or two drinks (men) per day may increase HDL or good cholesterol.
Don’t forget to exercise on a regular basis. 30-60 minutes per day will lower your cholesterol.
And, finally, don’t smoke. Like exercise, quitting improves your good cholesterol levels. It will also decrease your blood pressure and lower your risk of heart attack.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3006030
http://mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-cholesterol/DS00178/DSECTION=1
