My Dad never had terrible cholesterol numbers until the heart disease got out of control, and by then it was too late to do anything about the damage done to his heart. As for his diet, he had a different concept of filling up his plate at a buffet than most people. Most people stop piling on food when they can't see anymore plate. My Dad looked at that as the first layer of a full plate.

He was also a big fan of McDonald's Big Macs, and Checkers.