Maxs Experience

I never thought that I would be at risk for cardiovascular disease. For one thing, Im still youngonly 20. For another, Ive always been pretty healthy. When colds and flu go around, I dont usually catch them. I have never been a smoker. And also, because I used to play sports in high school, I still thought of myself as active and athletic. But the truth is that after I came to college I wasnt involved in sports anymore and I didnt really get any exercise. Once in a great while some friends and I would toss around a Frisbee. For one of my classes, I had to climb a couple flights of stairs to get to the classroom and I would find that I was really out of breath, which told me I was not in very good shape anymore. During a physical exam, when my doctor did a blood test, I was surprised to learn that I had high cholesterol. I had also gained 11 pounds since high school. Along with my lack of exercise, the fact that I ate pepperoni pizza regularly, ate fruits and vegetables only once in a blue moon, and my grandfather having had a heart attack when he was only 50 put me in the high-risk category for coronary heart disease. Getting those results was really a wake-up call for me. I took the time when I was taking the Lifetime Wellness class to really focus on trying to reduce my risk. I began working out and tried to reverse my eating habitspizza and fast food only once in a while, and fruits, vegetables, fish, and other healthy foods often. Now, a year later, my cholesterol levels are just about normal. I have lost weight, exercise regularly, and eat pretty healthy most of the time. The risk analysis now shows that I am at a low risk for heart disease. I know these changes have made me healthier and most likely I have added years to my life.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What risk factors for coronary heart disease was Max exhibiting at the beginning of his story? Which of the risk factors were out of his control and which were changeable?

2. What do you think was the most significant change Max made, and why?

3. What risk factors might contribute to your own possibility of developing coronary heart disease, and what can you do about them?