Health Expo Attracts 7,000 to Arts Plaza

Throngs descended upon the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on Saturday, in search of secrets to good health--and the good life.

By day’s end the Health and Fitness, Wealth and Wisdom Exposition had attracted more than 7,000 visitors, event organizers said. The expo continues today.

In addition to health product booths and experts on nutrition and physical fitness, the event featured seminars by leading financial, legal and health experts, including investment consultants and best-selling authors.

While many came eager to learn new and easy ways to lose weight, improve their diet and soften their skin, others arrived with a healthy dose of skepticism about the expo’s approximately 140 health-conscious exhibits.

“I’m wondering about all these alternative things on the market,” said Sidney Adler, dean of humanities at Moorpark College. “I’m here to learn more. I want to know the scientific background for these products, I haven’t seen too much so far.”

Adler, who turned 67 Saturday, and wife Dina were on the second floor of a three-floor exhibit hall, picking up free samples of a product that claimed to “help remove fat from the food you eat before your body absorbs it.”

Adler was particularly troubled by one of the ingredients in the fat-reduction product. “Desiccated ox bile--that doesn’t sound natural to me,” he said.

Excess weight and fat were the target of many exhibitors, including local gyms, personal trainers, nutritionists and diet-aid companies. The plethora of pound-dropping strategies left some reeling.

“I have never seen so many ways to lose weight in my life,” said exhibitor and nutritionist Kristy Predmore. “All you really need to do is exercise more and eat more nutritiously.”

But for others with more serious health concerns, the expo provided a chance to examine health and fitness alternatives to which they might not otherwise have had access.

“It’s not just on paper, you can talk to the exhibitors and ask them questions about the products and understand them better,” said 37-year-old John Foster of Thousand Oaks, an insurance claims inspector.

Foster said his girlfriend has battled cancer for years, and that the couple are continually looking for healthier ways to live.

According to event organizers, the wide selection of exhibitors--one section featured exercise equipment, estate planning, a personal trainer, L.A. police recruiting and sleep diagnosis--was no accident.

“I wanted this to be like a living newspaper that you can walk through and get information on almost anything, and especially things you might not be able to find elsewhere,” expo producer Jonathon Todd said. Meanwhile, opportunities were available for those more interested in self-esteem than health.

Sherre Freedman, a 56-year-old North Hollywood hypnotherapist, underwent a plastic surgery consultation.

With a computer-generated photograph of Freedman’s face on a screen, the consultant removed the puffiness from below Freedman’s eyes and the lines around the corners of her mouth.

“I think plastic surgery is very appropriate if you feel it’s something that will make you feel better,” Freedman said.

The expo will continue today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, and children under 12 are admitted free. Call 818-889-1085 for more information.