These lifestyle choices can cause or contribute to high levels of total cholesterol:

•       Inactivity. Lack of exercise may lower your level of HDL cholesterol.

•          Obesity. Excess weight increases your triglycerides. It also lowers your HDL cholesterol and increases your VLDL cholesterol. Being overweight can create a more serious risk factor for health problems depending on how you carry the extra weight. If you carry most of your fat around your waist or upper body, you may be referred to as apple-shaped. If you carry most of your fat around your hips and thighs or lower body, you're considered to be pear-shaped. Generally, when it comes to your health, it's better to have the shape of a pear than the shape of an apple. If you have an apple shape — a potbelly or spare tire — you carry more fat in and around your abdominal organs. Fat in your abdomen increases your risk of many of the serious conditions associated with obesity. A woman's waist should measure less than 35 inches. A man's waist should be less than 40 inches.

•     Diet. Cholesterol naturally occurs in foods derived from animals, such as meat, eggs and cheese. Eating a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet contributes to an increased blood cholesterol level. Saturated and trans fats raise blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fats lower blood cholesterol, but also seem susceptible to oxidation. Over time, oxidation speeds buildup of plaques inside your arteries. Monounsaturated fats may help lower blood cholesterol and are resistant to oxidation.