Health Challenge Cardiff, be part of a healthy city - Her Iechyd Caerdydd, Byddwch yn rhan o ddinas iach

My Health

Physical Activity

As a parent you want your child to be healthy and happy. Regular physical activity and a healthy diet can go a long way to ensuring this. Physical activity:

• helps children build a healthy heart and develop strong muscles and bones.
• reduces body fat and helps a child feel good about themselves.
• It improves their social and moral development, reduces anxiety and stress and increases opportunity to mix with other children and make friends.
• Children and young people should aim to participate in activity of at least moderate intensity for 60 minutes every day.
• The MEND Programme is available to children aged 7-13 whose weight is above the healthy range for their age and height.

Go to our Physical Activity pages for more information.

Food

It is important to ensure that children and young people eat nutritious food needed to help them to grow and develop. Encouraging children to eat healthy, balanced meals:

• helps them form good habits for life and protect them from heart disease and other conditions in future.
• improves their health, well being and ability to learn and achieve at school.
• A healthy well-balanced diet should include five-a-day fruit and vegetables in a variety of fruits, vegetables and colours. Suggest alternatives to sweet, sugary and fatty snacks.
• The MEND Programme is available to children aged 7-13 whose weight is above the healthy range for their age and height.

Go to our Healthy Eating pages for more information.

Mental Health

Children's emotional and mental health is about having the strength and capacity to live a full and creative life, and the flexibility to deal with its unpredictability. All children have their ups and downs and go through a range of thoughts and feelings as they grow up. As we know, growing up can be stressful, but with support from those around them, most children cope well. However, some can't cope, and become overwhelmed by their misery, anger or fear, and this is when all kinds of problems can arise. It is these children who probably need some specialist help. Without this help these children run the risk of developing more serious problems.

Go to our Healthy Mind pages for more information.

Drugs and alcohol, sex and relationships

As a parent it can be hard to speak openly with your teenager about any concerns for their health and well being, especially when these are related to drugs and alcohol or sex and relationships, but this is often the best way you can support them.

Go to our Alcohol, Substance Misuse or Sexual Health pages for more information.