Family Kickboxing aims to reduce obesity rates

The owners of Family Kickboxing and the Transformation Center, Alain and Ray Blais, are determined to do something about Sudbury’s rising obesity rate.

The duo has teamed up with the local Heart and Stroke Foundation to offer an extra incentive to the city's professional firefighters, police officers, teachers and employees of the City of Greater Sudbury.

“The Sudbury obesity rate is up 8.3 per cent since 2003, with an average of 27.3 per cent of Sudbury considered obese,” Alain said.

He added the combined rate of overweight and/or obese Sudburians is at an all-time high of 66 per cent of the population, a full 13.4 per cent higher than the Ontario average.

“With some new fad diet or exercise program popping up every day, each contradicting the other, it’s getting increasingly challenging to know what to believe, especially with several failed attempts under your belt,” Ray said.

The Transformation Center and the Heart and Stroke Foundation have stepped out of the clutter and opened the doors to their kickboxing classes to the above-mentioned group completely free until Aug. 31.

“People have tried and failed so many times that they’ve become discouraged, nearly giving up on themselves, making the next time that much harder,” Alain said. “We believe in Sudbury, we’ve seen amazing changes, and we are willing to put our money where our mouth is to show the rest of Ontario that we have what it takes to be a leader in health, not rising obesity rates.”

For more information, phone 705-222-9313 or email [email protected].