Hartford managed care provider Aetna Inc. is providing $50,000 to launch today in Georgia a statewide multimedia campaign to raise awareness of the increased risks of childhood obesity.
Funded by the Aetna Foundation, the campaign will include community health events in Atlanta, Macon, Savannah and Columbus; a series of television and radio spots; and a 60-minute television special that will air tonight on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Georgia Public Broadcasting will host a community health event Saturday in Atlanta. Other events are scheduled Oct. 2 in Augusta, Nov. 7 in Macon and Nov. 14 in Savannah. An additional community health event will be scheduled in Columbus on a date to be determined.
Dr. Neal Shulman, the real-life “Doc Hollywood” whose story inspired the 1991 Michael J. Fox movie of the same name, will be featured at all of the events, educating children and their parents about the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.
In 2008 Aetna and the Aetna Foundation awarded community grants and sponsorships in Georgia totaling $725,000, with a particular focus on diabetes and related conditions. Year to date for 2009, they have awarded $596,000 for similar programs. Aetna provides health benefits to more than 600,000 people in Georgia.
According to a National Health and Nutrition survey, 2.7 million U.S. children are severely obese. In Georgia, 24 percent of school children are obese by the time they enter third grade, according to a recent report issued by the Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health.
