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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 26 ,2 01 9 | 4 BOXINGDAYSALESEVENT! UP TO UP STARTS TODAY! 6AM! 1STTIMEEVER! 86"4K SMART $1998 NOW ONLY #124295 3HDMI - 60HZ BOXING DAY PRICING ON NOW AT THE BRICK! SAVING YOU MORE For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com. BOXING WEEK BLOWOUT! BOXING WEEK BLOWOUT! Velvet, Sanctuary, Inwear, Part Two, Gentle Fawn, Melissa Nepton, Ssandwich, Michael Kors, Brenda Beddome and many more! * EXCLUSIONS APPLY SALE & CLEARANCE EXTRA 20% OFF 70 Main Street Downtown Georgetown 905-877-0111 | moxxiboutique@bellnet.ca Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Up to75% StARtSDEC 26DEC 26OFF!* Obesity in Halton's children is on the rise. A regionwide kinder- garten parent survey con- ducted by the Our Kids Network reveals that 32 per cent of Halton kinder- garteners are considered overweight or obese, com- pared to 21 per cent a de- cade ago. So why is this number climbing? According to Halton Region's experts, there are a variety of reasons. "Obesity is multifacet- ed in terms of the risk fac- tors involved. It's not just about physical activity," said Halton medical offi- cer of health Dr. Hamidah Meghani. "The health of our children really starts at the beginning, from conception onwards." Factors such as breast- feeding for as long as pos- sible and healthy eating habits are critical compo- nents in a child's overall health, she said. A proper diet for chil- dren truly is key, echoed Jason Fournier, a fitness advocate and owner of Lo- cal Motion Fitness in Hal- ton Hills. "The survey results don't surprise me. Por- tion sizes have become huge," he said. "We don't teach cooking to kids any- more, at home or at school. Processed food is now considered accept- able. For millennia, hu- ANALYSIS A lack of outdoor, unstructured playtime is a contributing factor to childhood obesity, says Halton health officials. Metro Creative Graphic photo GROWING NUMBER OF HALTON CHILDREN CONSIDERED OBESE QUESTION: WHY IS THE CHILDHOOD OBESITY RATE ON THE RISE IN HALTON? CONCLUSION: ACCORDING TO LOCAL EXPERTS, THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS A LACK OF OUTDOOR, UNSTRUCTURED PLAYTIME PAIRED WITH UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com See - page 5