To illustrate the risks of a high fat diet, we developed artery models as well as a working model of an aneurysm.

The arteries were made using two 1-foot lengths of a heavy cardboard cylindrical mailing tube that was 4-inches in diameter and spray painted red. In one artery tube, we created fatty streaks by applying thin streaks of yellow wax inside the tube. For the second clogged artery, we created plaque by building up wax until a ping pong ball could not pass through the artery. We used marbles to represent red blood cells and a ping pong ball to represent a blood clot. To demonstrate blood flow, we poured the marbles through the arteries into a plastic bowl, pointing out how they flowed easily through he artery that only had fatty streaks, but flowed more slowly through the clogged artery. To demonstrate the effect of blood clots, we poured the marbles and a ping pong ball through the arteries and described how blood clots can become lodged in an artery and cut off the blood flow.