NATCHEZ &045; A free eight-week program on cardiac health and diet education will begin Feb. 8 at Natchez Regional Medical Center.

D. Leigh Rourke, director of education and quality improvement, and other professionals at Natchez Regional will lead the classes, which include ways to make the most of a little exercise and tips on healthy dieting, among other topics.

Classes will be 6 to 7 p.m. in the Live Oak Classroom on the second floor of the hospital and are open to the public.

Doctors, nurses, a dietician and a social worker will conduct the classes, Rourke said.

&uot;We are doing this as a service, a way to improve the community’s knowledge of how even little changes can make big differences in your health,&uot; she said.

Poor cardiac health is a major problem in the Natchez area, she said. In one class, a cardiologist will explain how to set up a small exercise program, explaining how even a little exercise goes a long way.

The classes will be each Tuesday except for the third week, when the class will be on Thursday.

The schedule is as follows:

Feb. 8: Leigh Rourke will present an overview of dieting options.

Feb. 15: Dr. Steven Silver will discuss the impact of a limited exercise and diet program on heart health.

Feb. 24: Dr. Patrick McGauly will present standards of good health and will talk about other related topics.

March 1: Dietician Karnesha Washington will explain ways to control blood sugar and will tell how that affects dieting success.

March 8: Simmons Iles, registered nurse, will discuss ways to design an exercise program.

March 15: Catherine Ratcliffe, social worker, will discuss self-esteem and positive thinking.

March 22: Dr. Scott Wolfe will explain how obesity and poor diet lead to certain diseases.

March 29: Leigh Rourke will speak on &uot;Lifestyle Change Equals Long-term Results.&uot;