A Closer Look at Weight and Blood Cholesterol

A Closer Look at Weight and Blood Cholesterol

Increased weight negatively affects cholesterol levels in the body, as

well as some of the components of cholesterol. Your total cholesterol

level is created from 3 differing kinds of cholesterol: LDL (“bad”

cholesterol), VLDL (a mixture of triglycerides and cholesterol), and

HDL (“good” cholesterol). Each type of cholesterol has a different

function. For heart health, the goal is to decrease cholesterol and

increase HDL cholesterol, since LDL contributes to heart disease risk

and HDL helps protect the heart. Increased weight creates problems

by increasing LDL levels and decreasing HDL levels. It also drives up

triglycerides, another type of fat in the blood. Weight loss improves blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.