The eighth annual Healthy Living Expo was held this past Friday and Saturday at the Knoxville Convention Center. According to the event’s website, “The expo is the area’s largest health, fitness, nutrition and green living event.”
    
The website also stated that the event was focused on healthy living “with exhibitors representing products and services relating to healthcare, nutrition, fitness, natural health, family fitness and ‘green’ living, visitors to the Healthy Living Expo are sure to find something to enhance their lifestyles.”
    
The event was sponsored by many local businesses and organizations, such as The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Food City, local Channel 8 and the radio station Star 102.1.
    
The expo was the biggest yet with more than 250 vendors and over 8,000 visitors during the two-day period.
    
Susan Benton, the Healthy Living Expo’s communication director, was pleased with this year’s turnout.
    
“This was our eighth year and there was an unbelievable turnout,” Benton said. “We had over 250 booths this year, like UT Medical, Fort Sanders Fitness and we have Food City samplings.”
    
The expo, which was held part of the day Friday and all day Saturday, had a variety of booths to promote health and fitness, such as weight loss clinics, and booths with all organic products. There was also a stage where some fitness classes took place, along with another stage sponsored by Food City that gave demonstrations about healthy eating and cooking. Several events, such as events catered to senior health or kid’s fitness, were held throughout the expo.
    
Benton also said there were many new exhibits at the expo this year.
    
“This year there was a lot more vendors,” Benton said. “We also had a portable tennis court that could be indoor or outdoor. Also, Antone Davis and Joe Mitchell from ‘The Biggest Loser’ were here. So was Missy Kane.”
    
The UT School of Nursing also had an exhibit where some nursing students were giving health tips and advice to visitors. This was the second time Emily Sullivan, a senior in nursing, had been to the Healthy Living Expo.
    
“We’re in our community rotation right now,” Sullivan said. “We’re trying to reach the people of the community and trying to teach them how to eat healthy for high blood pressure, colon health and all kinds of stuff.”