FAIRFIELD, Ia – Matt Hoover, winner of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Season 2 and Iowa native will kick off Southeast Iowa’s largest Wellness Expo on Saturday, September 25 at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center.

This event, hosted by the Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be the largest health and wellness in Southeast Iowa showcasing the latest advancements and innovations in health and wellness and will tap into the trend of individuals who are keen on taking control of their health, improving their fitness and making the most of an often-strained health care system.

Featuring exhibitors from various sectors, including health and wellness, beauty, financial and healthy home, the Expo will also be highlighted with workshops and demonstrations that will cover fitness, martial arts, healthy cooking, play areas for kids and much more.  Reflecting the most up to date information on wellness and healthy living, The Wellness Expo has something to offer everyone in the family.  In just one exciting day, attendees can listen to cutting edge presentations, participate in the city’s largest yoga class, watch healthy cooking demonstrations, learn about alternative approaches to health & wellness, sample natural beauty products, talk with health professionals in all fields, get nutritional guidance, experience a massage and discover ways to lead a more healthy lifestyle.

Southeast Iowa Wellness Expo brings together local and national health, beauty and fitness product and service companies, hospitals, physicians, dentists, natural and alternative practitioners, chiropractors, health food retailers showcasing information about their products and services to individuals interested in leading more healthy lifestyles.

There are three planned components to the event including exhibitors, demonstrations and educational sessions. Exhibitors will include traditional and non-traditional health professionals, services and products. All with the purpose to inspire and encourage individuals to embrace a life of health, wellness, fitness, environmental and green living through awareness of natural, organic and alternative products and solutions, advanced medicine research, education, nutrition, exercise and lifelong benefits of living a green, clean and healthy lifestyle.

“There are so many exciting components to this event,” said Terry Baker, Assistant Director of the Fairfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our goal is to offer lifestyle alternatives that will inspire people to make healthier choices for themselves and their families.  This event will make it easy to gather lots of information in a short time frame. We are especially excited to be welcoming Matt Hoover back to Iowa to share some of his experiences.”

Matt Hoover has experienced first-hand the emotional challenges of being overweight and knows how life changes when the pounds begin to fall off. As a student at Belle Plaine High School, Matt was a two time state wrestling champion and was named a high school all-American. He was awarded a scholarship to the top college wrestling program in the nation at the University of Iowa. His wrestling career ended due to an injury and afterwards, he developed severe eating and drinking problems that caused his weight to balloon to 340 pounds.

In the winter of 2005, he was cast to be on the NBC show, “The Biggest Loser 2″. He arrived at the Biggest Loser Ranch in March of 2005 weighing 339 pounds and eventually won the show’s grand prize of $250,000.00 by losing 157 pounds in nine months, weighing in at 182 pounds at the live finale on November 29, 2005. He met his future wife, Suzy, on the show.

Now a motivational speaker and exercise training coach, Matt Hoover lives with his wife, Suzy Preston Hoover, and 2 sons near Seattle, Washington. Matt continues his quest to develop a holistic lifestyle of health & wellness.  He has recently written a book called “Matt Hoover’s Guide to Life, Love, and Losing Weight” and will be autographing copies of the book at the show.

The Bureau chose to make this a Wellness Expo rather than a health expo as Wellness encompasses so many elements from physical, mental, spiritual, and financial and environment.  Attendees of the Expo will realize there are many resources to create holistic healthy lifestyles available right in our own backyard.

Businesses interested in exhibiting or sponsoring the event are encouraged to contact the Fairfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. For more information on the Southeast Iowa Wellness Expo, call 641-472-2828 or visit TravelFairfieldIowa.com

Tags: Biggest Loser, fairfield, iowa, Matt Hoover, Southeast Iowa Wellness Expo

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