HEART ENEMIES

            Unfortunately, some people develop habits that can damage the heart.  Now, while you're young, is a great time to set good health habits that will keep your heart working well for many years.

Smoking
            People smoke cigarettes because they like the feeling they get from the chemical in them, nicotine.  But once you start smoking, it's very hard to stop.
            Smoking damages health in different ways:

• It fills your lungs with hot gases, dust, carbon monoxide and other cancer-causing substances.
• Smoking kills the very small hairs that line the lungs.  These hairs sweep out bacteria and keep the lungs from becoming infected.
• Nicotine speeds up your heart and narrows your blood vessels, so your heart has to work harder to circulate your blood.

Too much food, not enough exercise
           Only 100 years ago, there were many fewer overweight people.  Many adults worked at jobs that required physical activity, such as farming.
           People didn't have as many choices as we do about what to eat.  They ate what they could grow or what could be found nearby.  There wasn't time to sit around and eat snacks----chores and other activities kept kids busy.
           Today, kids may have a lot of free time.  We might use that time watching TV, playing video games or using a computer.  But those are sedentary, or sitting, activities.  Our bodies don't use much energy to do those types of things.
           In addition, we have a huge number of food choices, and many of our foods are not nutritious.  Fast food and snacks can have hundreds of calories that our bodies don't need for energy.  So those calories get stored as fat.
          Experts say that about 1 of every 3 children and teenagers is overweight or obese.  Being overweight is hard on all parts of your body.  It is the leading cause of early heart attacks.