10.7 Managing Symptoms: Staying Healthy

Being healthy is important for all children and can be especially important for children with mental health disorders. In addition to getting the right treatment, leading a healthy lifestyle can play a role in managing symptoms. Here are some healthy behaviors that may help:

• Eating a healthful diet centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (for example, beans, peas, and lentils), lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds

• Participating in physical activity for at least 60 minutes each day

• Getting the recommended amount of sleep each night based on age

• Practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques⁴²⁶

Figure 10.22: Staying healthy is critical for all children, especially those who may have mental health disorders.⁴²⁷

In this chapter we looked at:

• Patterns of growth in the brain and body

• Health and nutrition

• Causes and results of obesity

• Exercise, fitness, and organized sports

• Physical health concerns

• Mental health disorders

In the next chapter we will be examining cognitive development theories and theorists. We will learn about information processing; attention, memory, and planning in middle childhood. We will also see how school age children learn language and how intelligence is measured.

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426. Anxiety and Depression in Children by the CDC is in the public domain↩︎

427. Image by the U.S. Marine Corps is in the public domain↩︎