We all know the term bogeyman — a fictional monster that empowers its inventor. According to Wikipedia,
“parents often say that if their child is naughty, the bogeyman will
get them, in an effort to make them behave.” I always think of the
Falkland Islands. In 1982, by acting as if the Argentine invasion
actually mattered, Margaret Thatcher got herself a big boost in
popularity. In the 1960s, by acting as if Berkeley student protests
were dangerous, Reagan got elected president. The day after 9/11, I
said my big fear was overreaction. I doubt the persons behind the
bombing understood how useful they were to those in power. Bush got a
boost in popularity that lasted years.

When it comes to health, cholesterol is one of the biggest bogeymen. Hyperlipid begins a post about LDL cholesterol like this:

You would be forgiven for thinking that the apoB100
protein (which defines the LDL or VLDL particle) has been evolved over
the past 4.5 billion years to cause cardiovascular disease and the less
of it you have the longer you will live. Listening to a cardiologist
that is (or a BBC reporter on the Today Program grovelling before a
cardiologist). The lower the better. It’s impossible to have too low an
LDL concentration. Statins in the drinking water. You know the patter.

The scientific paper on which his post is based concludes:

Apolipoprotein B at homeostatic levels in blood is an essential innate defense effector against invasive S. aureus infection.

Thanks to Dave Lull.