subject: Simplified way of controlling cholesterol [print this page] Simplified way of controlling cholesterol
What is cholesterol and why do we need it?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance called a lipid that is found in all body cells. The liver makes all of the cholesterol your body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters the body when you eat foods that come from animals, like meats, eggs, and dairy products.
Although we often blame the cholesterol found in foods that we eat for raising blood cholesterol, the main culprit is the saturated fat in our food. Foods rich in saturated fat include butter fat in milk products, fat from red meat, and tropical oils such as coconut oil.
Cholesterol travels to cells through the bloodstream in special carriers called lipoproteins. Two of the most important lipoproteins are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Doctors look at how LDL, HDL, and fats called triglycerides relate to each other and to your total cholesterol level.
Low-density Lipoprotein
LDL particles deliver cholesterol to the body's cells. LDL cholesterol is often called "bad cholesterol" because high levels are thought to lead to heart disease and diseases of the blood vessels. Too much LDL in the blood causes fatty plaque to form on artery walls, which starts the disease process atherosclerosis. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, there is a greater risk of having a heart attack.
LDL levels may be high if you eat a diet with a lot of saturated fat, cholesterol, or both. Sometimes, an underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism) may also increase LDL levels.
High-density Lipoprotein
HDL particles carry cholesterol from the body's cells back to the liver, where it can be removed from the body. HDL is known as "good cholesterol" because high levels are thought to lower the risk of heart disease. Low HDL is often the result of physical inactivity, obesity, or smoking.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are fats that provide energy for the muscles. Like cholesterol, they are delivered to the body's cells by lipoproteins in the blood. Eating foods with a lot of saturated fat or carbohydrates will raise triglyceride levels. Elevated levels are thought to lead to a greater risk of heart disease, but scientists do not agree that high triglycerides alone are a risk factor for heart disease.
What causes high cholesterol in children and teenagers?
In some cases, high cholesterol runs in families. This is called familial hypercholesterolemia. About 1% to 2% of children have this condition, and they should have their cholesterol levels checked before they are 5 years old.
Other risk factors for high cholesterol include obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking. Unless your child has any of these risk factors, most children and teenagers do not need to have their cholesterol levels checked until age 20.
Obesity
Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease. This is alarming when you consider that 1 out of every 3 American adults is obese. Recent studies have shown that obesity is linked to more than 110,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Childhood obesity in the United States has become a problem in recent years. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, between 16% and 33% of children and teenagers are obese. As a result, there has been a sharp rise in obesity-related problems like type 2 diabetes, which is usually seen only in adults. Because obese children are more likely to be obese adults, preventing or treating obesity in childhood may reduce the risk of adult obesity. In turn, this may help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other obesity-related diseases.
What is obesity and what causes it?
Our bodies are made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Obesity means that you have too much body fat.
For some people, the cause of obesity is quite simple: they are eating more calories than they are burning during exercise and daily life. Other causes of obesity may include genetics, aging, gender, lifestyle, and illness.
Obesity in children is dangerous because researchers believe that the fat cells we gain as children stay with us as adults. Obese children may have 5 times more fat cells than children of normal weight. Dieting in adulthood will decrease the fat-cell size but not the actual number of fat cells.
How do I know if my child is obese?
When determining body fat in children and teens, body mass index (BMI) provides a guideline based on weight and height to determine underweight and overweight. Assessing BMI depends on the child's age because as children grow, the amount of body fat they have changes. Also, girls and boys will have different amounts of body fat as they grow, so age-specific and sex-specific charts are used to plot children's BMI.
