Dozens of Local Community Partners to Participate; Free Health Screenings Available

Aetna and Pfizer Inc are co-sponsoring a recreational health fair for Hartford families on October 18 to raise awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles in the family and the community. The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, in Hartford's Bushnell Park.

More than half of adults in Connecticut are overweight or obese. Since 1990, the number of obese adults in Connecticut has nearly doubled, and now one in five adults is obese.¹ Approximately one-quarter of Connecticut youth are overweight or obese.² Hartford County has the highest percentage of obese children, at over 11 percent.³ To help combat this growing obesity epidemic and encourage healthy lifestyles, Aetna and Pfizer, aim to educate Hartford families about managing their health.

“Tackling obesity and the serious health issues it can cause is a primary goal of numerous city, state and national civic and health organizations, but too often we are all working in silos,” said Michael Hudson, president of Aetna’s Northeast Region, including Connecticut. “We are proud to be uniting our efforts in Connecticut through this initiative and working with Pfizer and a number of exceptional community partners to bring the message of good health and physical activity to Hartford’s families. We hope this fair will encourage people to make the small but important lifestyle changes necessary to improve their long-term health and well-being.”

A number of organizations will be participating in the event including the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s No Child Left Inside program, Hartford Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford Public Schools, the City of Hartford and Qualidigm. The fair will offer free health screenings and provide families with educational materials on healthy lifestyles. A series of stations will be set up to raise awareness about healthy eating and exercise through family-focused interactive events, healthy eating seminars and cooking demonstrations.

“Pfizer is proud to partner with Aetna and work with other community organizations to promote wellness and help improve the health of our communities,” said John Sory, Vice President, Pfizer Health Solutions.