Carlos Solis
Cholesterol — a waxy substance the liver mainly makes. The body needs it to build cells and produce hormones, but there are different types. High levels of LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. LDL is usually called “bad” cholesterol because, over time, it deposits on artery walls, narrowing them and making blood flow harder.
Does high LDL depend only on weight?
High LDL isn’t limited to overweight people — genetics are the main driver. Diet matters too, but its effect on LDL is smaller than genetics. What’s more important is not total calories so much as how many saturated fats you eat.
Saturated fats appear in pastries, cookies, chocolate, and many ultra-processed foods. Because of that, a relatively slim person can still have high cholesterol — either because of heredity or because of their diet. So body weight by itself has only a minimal effect on LDL cholesterol.
How obesity raises your health risks
Obesity affects other blood lipids more strongly. Excess weight is linked to higher triglycerides and remnant cholesterol, and those lipids also raise cardiovascular risk. Obesity also increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, and those conditions make LDL even more dangerous.
Doctors recommend that people over 40 get screening that includes a cholesterol test. A primary care doctor can assess your overall cardiovascular risk, because not only LDL levels matter but also whether you have diabetes, your weight, and your blood pressure.
Based on material from The Guardian
