Your ticker vs your tires
Posted on April 11th, 2008 – 11:42 AMBy Josephine Marcotty
This from the creative survey department, courtesy of General Mills, the maker of Cheerios. Heart disease is a growing problem among women, but only 50 percent have had their cholesterol checked in the last year, the company said. When you compare that to how many of us check all the other vitals in our lives, it turns out we’re not doing too well on the cholesterol screenings. Here are the comparisons:
- Computer virus: 78 percent
- Tire pressure: 56 percent
- Smoke Detector battery: 53 percent
So, now we know how the old ticker rates.
2 Responses to "Your ticker vs your tires"
Absent any major risk factors, does one’s cholesterol level really need to be checked every single year?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has not made a recommendation on how often this screening is appropriate, but suggests an interval of every 5 years.
It seems to me that getting your cholesterol checked every single year is one of those myths that everyone believes, when in fact there is no evidence to support that an annual screening is of any benefit to the average person.
Methinks the Cheerios people have an ulterior motive here. 
Methinks you’re right. General Mills is trying to market Cheerios as the heart healthiest food on the planet, and they promise to donate money to an advocacy group for women’s heart health. And you are right about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — I should have pointed that out myself. JM
