I have high cholestorol (238). What's wrong with just taking cholestoral lowering pill and not changing diet?

Question

I would rather die of a heart attack at 60 than live to be 80 if I had to quit eating fast food and be a slave to the treadmill for the rest of my life. I already take low-dose asprin and a multivitamin every day so shoving another pill down my throat is something I can do...lol. I'm only 32!

Answer 1

I actually agree with you... to an extent, there is a very big 'quality of life' issue at risk when we give up things that are good in life, such as good tasting 'fast food' and relaxing.

But the reason why I continue to eat healthy and exercise has nothing to do with how long I want to live but the quality of my life for the rest of what remains.

"What did he just say?"

Basically it comes down to this, for however long I have left in life, I wish to be able to be active, independent, happy, and look reasonably good when I look in the mirror.

The worse your diet is and if you do not exercise and keep fit, your health will deteriorate. Each excess pound makes it more difficult to move, you have difficulty breathing, you feel a lack of energy.... soon into your late 30's, these problems will begin to magnify and multiply... if you're overweight, you will run into the risk of developing diabetes (And what happens to the quality of your life when you're on colostomy bags, insulin injections, and dialysis for the rest of your life?).

If you think you're a slave to the treadmill now.. wait till you're a slave of your bed or couch when you can't physically move anymore because you haven't exercised in years? Would you rather live to 60 tied to a hospital bed with a nurse feeding you hospital food or would you rather live to 80 and maintain a happy, active, self-sufficient lifestyle by eating right and keeping fit?

Answer 2

First of all, you don't have to completely give up fast food and run on a treadmill for 2 hours a day. However, cholesterol medications are designed to work best when combined with exercise and a healthy diet. You just have to cut back on fast food (once or twice a week, tops), and try to get SOME exercise, even if it's only a 20 minute walk 3 times a week. Little changes will make a big difference. Little changes in my diet with very little exercise helped me lose over 50 pounds in a year.

Answer 3

As your body get use to the pill, you may end up have to keep increasing dosage just to get the same efficiency.
Changing long-time eating habit is difficult, but you can start small. E.g. eat one burger less this week.

I was overweight all my life until 29. Was always feeling lethargic and always the first down with flu in workplace. Including my dad, I have 4 paternal and maternal elders going through heart-bypass in their 60s/70s. I know if I don't do anything to my body, my pre-deposited genes will be activated -- perhaps in late 40s since my lifestyle is less active than them.

The first week in gym is hell. But after it became a habit, I actually feel something is at miss when I don't exercise.

I lost weight, look better, and feel more in control. I gained confidence because I changed what I thought I was born with: a big frame. Yes, the taste of success was sweet. You must try to believe.

I am 31.

Answer 4

The medications for high cholesterol are extremely hard on the liver. People that have to take them need to have their liver enzymes tested every few months. It's better if you can bring it down with diet and exercise. Sometimes, it is genetic, and then you may have to end up taking the meds., but it's much easier on your body if you don't. Try changing your diet a bit at a time, no one says that you only get to eat lettuce the rest of your life.

Answer 5

I noticed the biggest drop in my cholesterol levels about 8 months after I started walking and exercising several times a week. I had been on two cholesterol lowering drugs for about 5 years and did not see such a drop with them. I have not changed my diet at all. Walking and exercise was a big feat for me, I would walk about 5 minutes and turn around and painfully return home. I pushed it adding a minute each day until I was up to 45 minutes to an hour which was a mile or mile and a half. Eventually the pain in my hip subsided when I started going to a senior citizens exercise group twice a week for an hour each time. Yep! only twice a week! It is amazing how it makes one feel.

Answer 6

There are two reasons:
1. cholesterol lowering drugs work much better with a low-fat diet and exercise
2. high cholesterol is only one of the risk factors for heart disease. Others include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, inactivity and smoking.

You're not doing yourself much of a favor by just taking the medication without making some lifestyle changes.

Answer 7

If you don't change the diet, you won't see 50 !! The pills can't reduce your count if you keep adding to it every time you eat!!! Cut back on the fast food instead of quitting cold turkey (no pun intended). Walk when you can instead of driving, and that will be more fun than a threadmill (walk around the block during lunchtime, use the stairs instead of the elevator). Little changes make big differences and are easier to sustain than large-scale changes

Answer 8

Because the more dependent on pills you become to "solve" any of your problems, the more likely you'll end up dropping dead on a bad batch of THOSE -LONG before that heart attack takes you out. If THAT doesn't coax you into taking better care of yourself- then the least you can do is take out a nice, fat, life insurance policy- so that the ones you love will gratefully enjoy all the years you won't.

Answer 9

Your Cholesterol is high but not too much

Normal Adult Range: 120 - 240 mg/dl
Optimal Adult Reading: 180

Anyway you need to keep it under control,
It is not recommended to take cholesterol lowering pillsfor these levels, they are recommended for
- very high levels,
-symptomatic patient (like having atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease),
-congenital dyslipidemias.

U have none of this, Absolutely not recommended to have these medicines at your levels.

Good living is not about being slave to treadmill / low-fat food / weighing machine it is about achieving moderation and balance in life.

I am also as young as you, this reminds me to get my levels checked (they were good last time)

Answer 10

you can continue eating whatever you want, but you have to burn some calories, it's simple.
if you have a 4500 calories diet maybe your body only need 1500. 3000 extras calories are part of an extra pound in your body.
do not stop eating fast food sooner or later the earth will be trap by the sun.