An NIU physical educator believes high school students can prevent serious cholesterol problems in later years through diet and exercise.

Because of a special interest in cholesterol, Associate Professor Jim Rimmer is beginning a research project involving students at DeKalb High School.

The project will test from 200 to 300 students for high blood cholesterol levels. Rimmer said he has found that genetics make high levels unpredictable because they might occur among athletes and non-athletes.

Rimmer said teenagers with high cholesterol might be “heading down a dangerous road,” but that “for every 1 percent that cholesterol (levels are) lowered, the chances of dying from coronary disease decreases by 2 percent.

“The problem with kids is that they don’t care about how things will be when they’re 40,” he said.

Rimmer wants to find 60 students with cholesterol levels over 170, “which is considered high” for a teen, he said. Also, there will be 30 students in a control group with unaltered behavior and diet.

The group will be put on a diet of a half-cup of high oat bran daily and less saturated fats. They also will exercise aerobically three to five days a week to increase levels of high density lipoproteins and unclog low density lipoproteins.

Rimmer said he has planned the program for two years and will begin this month. Students in the expirimental group and their parents will receive individualized attention and diet counseling and their heart rates will be monitored regularly, he said.

In May, the students will undergo a post-test and Rimmer will find out if the diet and exercise helped to lower cholesterol levels.

Rimmer said his main objective is to educate students about the dangers of high cholesterol levels. He said he wants to make them aware that exercise alone might not always work; sometimes it is a hereditary problem.