Science Questions

I have a health question for you. If someone works out a lot and is in great physical shape but eats foods which are very high in fat or cholesterol, in what condition is his or her heart likely to be? Does the working out negate the bad diet or does it keep you looking good on the outside but on the inside you may have serious heart problems? David in Washington DC

The answer to that is in fact quite difficult. It all depends on exactly how much activity that person is doing. A person doing a lot of exercise needs a lot more energy to keep them going. The advantage of exercise is that it does help to break down the fat, but I would say as a common sense notion that if you're eating more fat and having more cholesterol, it's not good for. So I would say to reduce fat.

January 2006