Hi panda, you sound like you eat a really sensible, balanced diet so I don't understand how you can be 4 stone overweight. The cholesterol problem, as you say, is hereditary - I know a number of folk who are as slim as rods and have high cholesterol. I had always had bad eating habits and would eat things like a jumbo bag of doritos instead of dinner at night, follow lunch with half a pack of chocolate biscuits and stuff like that. I tried counting calories but kept cheating! It was only by cutting out eating between meals that helped me to lose weight (and the high cholesterol). I guess everyone has to find their own solution.
Susan, sorry you dropped your test! Can't your GP order a test of your cholesterol levels? I had to go privately to a microbiologist.
There was no way I was going to go onto drugs to solve my problem - I really believe that many health professionals give drugs as an easy solution (because they benefit from it, not you!) when good health can be achieved by a change in diet and/or lifestyle. My OH was prescribed pills for his high blood pressure on his first visit to a doctor - the doctor didn't even bother to take into consideration OH's weight and penchant for beer!
I do realize that sometimes drugs are necessary though.
