Weight lossBeing
overweight can increase your
cholesterol levels. Losing
Weight can help
lower your "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your "good" cholesterol (HDL)
level and lower your triglyceride level. But just what do we mean by "overweight"? The best way to tell if you are overweight is by calculating your body mass index (BMI). BMI takes both your weight and height into consideration. To calculate your BMI, use the BMI tables on this site. A BMI of 18 to 25 is considered normal; 25 to 29.9 is considered "overweight," and a BMI of 30 or above is considered "obese."
Metabolic syndrome Weight loss is especially important for people who have a condition called "metabolic syndrome," which is becoming more common in the United States. People with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a combination of factors, including a large amount of fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of good cholesterol (HDL). According to the National Institutes of Health, people with metabolic syndrome have three or more of the following symptoms: · Waist measurement of more than 40 inches for a man or 35 inches for a woman · Triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher · An HDL (good) cholesterol level lower than 40 for a man or lower than 50 for a woman · Blood pressure of 130/85 or higher · Fasting blood sugar of 110 to 125 mg/dL If you have three or more of the symptoms listed above, talk to your doctor. Whether or not you have metabolic syndrome, shedding excess weight is an important part of any cholesterol-lowering program.
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