June 29, 2007

Health and Fitness Expo makes learning about healthy living fun

The MGH and other Partners hospitals joined Boston's health, fitness and medical communities in the Hynes Convention Center for the Channel 7 News/CW 56 and Partners HealthCare Health and Fitness Expo June 23 and 24. Open to the public, this first-of-its-kind event for the city gave MGH caregivers the opportunity to showcase many of the innovative services available at the hospital. An estimated 70,000 people attended the event.

The expo's hands-on activities engaged children and families.

With an emphasis on education and fun for the whole family, the MGH presented a number of exciting activities and exhibits highlighting important health topics. MGH experts provided information about the risks, treatment and prevention of heart disease in women, and members of the MGH Sports Medicine Center and the Sports Physical Therapy Service shared tips for preventing and managing common sports injuries. Children and adults alike enjoyed an unusual opportunity to crawl through Coco the Colossal Colon® — a 40-foot-long, 4-foot-high model of the human colon — to learn more about digestive health, colon cancer and other diseases. Visitors also had questions answered by clinicians from the MGH Digestive Healthcare Center and the MGH Cancer Center. Other topics the MGH covered at the expo included smoking cessation,treating the mind, body and spirit of individuals undergoing cancer treatment and a presentation on "Your Body for Kids" by staff from the MassGeneral Hospital for Children.