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Most people are aware, at some level at least, of the dangers that being overweight presents. Many of us have received information about how overweight adversely affects health. Much of the information regarding overweight and poor health typically revolves around the risk to internal organs; however, carrying extra body weight can also cause damage and injury to the muscular skeletal region of the body, and this sort of damage can be quite painful and even debilitating.
When considering internal bodily functions, one of the major risks in being overweight is the development of high cholesterol. The term high cholesterol is actually a bit vague since cholesterol is fairly wide ranging, and not all cholesterol is harmful. In truth, cholesterol is found in the cells of all tissue and cholesterol is required in the building and development of cells. The human body wouldn't develop or function as normal without the presence of cholesterol. When discussing cholesterol that adversely affects health, the term that's really being referred to is a form of cholesterol found in the blood stream.
Cholesterol is a main component of lipids, or fat, found within the blood. The process itself is a bit complex and medically specific, but in essence blood cholesterol is transported by proteins, and one of those proteins is called LDL, shorthand for low-density lipoproteins. LDL is often referred to as bad cholesterol because of an association with artery disease. The higher the levels of LDL, the higher the chances for circulatory problems including heart disease and stroke. High levels of LDL then is what's really meant by references to high cholesterol.
High LDL levels can be an inherited trait, but are just as likely if not more likely to be brought about by diet. People who eat foods heavy in saturated fats in particular are more inclined to have high LDL levels than people who consume only moderate or small amounts of saturated fats. Though overweight isn't necessarily from diets high in fat, diets high in fat consumed over time have a good chance of adding extra weight to a person's body frame. And whether diet is the main culprit or not, people who are overweight generally have higher levels of LDL than non-overweight people.
It's clear why one should be concerned about elevated LDL levels: high levels of LDL are strongly associated with heart disease. This is frequently why routine physical examinations include a blood exam that checks for LDL levels. Any person who is overweight and has high LDL levels will almost certainly be recommended to lose weight. The good news is that weight loss is correlated with lower LDL levels. It's one more way that losing weight improves one's health outlook.