PUT YOUR HEART FIRST

            Experts say it's unusual for a kid to have a heart attack.  But doctors worry about the long-term damage of being overweight and not exercising enough.  Many overweight kids willgrow up to be overweight adults, which could lead to a heart attack, stroke or heart failure.
           "The risks pick up as you take those habits with you into adulthood," one expert told the newspaper.  "It will catch up with you."
           The good news is that kids have a lot of time to improve their health.  The Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center suggests an easy way to remember to eat right and get enough exercise each day, called 5-2-1-0:
     * 5  - Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
     * 2  - Spend only two hours or less in front of a scren (TV, video games, computer).
     * 1  -  Get at least one hour of exercise every day.
     * 0  -  Don't have any drinks that include calories (except milk).

Calories in....
           A calorie is a measurement of energy.  We use this measurement to tell us how much energy is in foods.
           For example, a medium-sized apple has 100 or fewer calories.  It's also full of vitamins and fiber, which are good for your body.  A 2-ounce Snikers bar has 280 calories and 14 grams of fat, with little fiber or vitamins.

It's all about choices
          As you get older, you will begin to make more of your own choices about what you eat.  It's important to learn about foods now and set good habits so that you can choose healthy foods later in life.

Start here

• Choose low-fat proteins (meats) and dairy foods.
• Avoid white foods, such as white sugar, white bread, white rice and white potatoes.
• Eat whole grains (such as cereal) and beans.
• Watch portion sizes.  A pancake should be about the size of a CD.  A 3-to 4-ounce serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.