The concept of wellness and how a person can live a good mental and physical life through exercise, diet and positive outlook proved the major attraction of the Wellness Show in Vancouver over the weekend as about 30,000 people turned out for the three-day event.
With about 250 booths set up in the Vancouver Convention Center, the range of exhibitors proved wide as visitors could check out the latest in holistic healing, vitamins and supplements, massage therapy, fitness, cooking and food, and even wellness for domestic pets.
Jeanette Savard who has been organizing the Wellness Show for the past 19 years, said she started the event because of her long interest in fitness, eating well and lifestyle and wanted to get the concept under one roof.
After attracting 65 exhibitors and 8,000 people the first year, she said the show had continued to grow as more and more people express an interest in living a healthy lifestyle. While an increasing number of younger people were attending, about 70 percent of the patrons were women.
"Well it's certainly evident in today's news about people being overweight and working too hard, and being attached to their Blackberrys and computers, that we have to look at a new way of being fit and healthy and this is a great opportunity to learn about some of those options available," Savard said.