Statins Give Users License to Pig Out!

Statins are drugs given to people to lower high cholesterol (I take one) and they work pretty well, too well some researchers fear. Some researchers think (and their studies have shown) that people using statins to lower cholesterol are abandoning heart healthy diets and slacking off on exercise. These bad habits can contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other problems that are bad for the heart. Use of statins seems to be producing a false sense of reassurance. After using statins for one year, calories intake, fat intake (especially the saturated fats), body mass index, and diabetes increased and activity levels decreased. I get how this can happen after trying diet, exercise, and even fish oil gels to try to decrease my own cholesterol only to find that I had to resort to using statins (low dose every other day) to bring mine into what is considered a normal range. The healthy track is what most people get on before they are put on the statins as the next (I hope not last) resort. An unhealthy diet and sedentary life style along with my genetics probably went a long way to contributing to my cholesterol levels in the first place. Once you trade out those unhealthy habits for an active lifestyle and a healthy diet why waste the benefits. Don’t let statins give you a license to pig out!