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Feature: Outdoor health expo kicks off in Sofia

Xinhua, May 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Mission Health Expo, the only outdoor health care exhibition in Bulgaria, kicked off on Friday at one of the most vibrant spots here.

A total of 60 medical centers and hospitals, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies; producers and importers of food additives and organic food; medical equipment for home use and containers for food storage participated in the three-day expo held near Eagles' Bridge.

George Tabakov, the event's organizer, told Xinhua this was the only health care exhibition in Bulgaria that was directly aimed at the consumer.

"Our goal is to draw all health services, medical services, services related to beauty, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, early diagnostics and prevention, closer to the Bulgarian consumer," he said.

Besides getting information, visitors were also able to have their blood pressure, body mass index and percentage of body fat measured, and taste Bulgarian health foods such as honey, yogurt, and aronia juice.

Meanwhile, athletes from the Bulgarian Taekwondo Association demonstrated exercises as examples of a healthy lifestyle.

"Sport is health. We make health through Taekwondo, as well as all other martial arts; not through pills and whatever else," their coach Stanimir Orlev told Xinhua.

"There is no way any medications to compete with something as cool as taekwondo," he added.

Tabakov said the number of exhibitors and visitors had increased in the three years since the event began. In 2013, there were 40 exhibitors and 9,000 visitors. Last year, attendance reached 50 and 12,000 respectively, he said.

"If the number of visitors increases, it is a compliment to the exhibition, and also shows that Bulgarians have started to become more responsible about their health," Tabakov said.

Data from the National Statistical Institute shows that the average life expectancy of Bulgarians between 2012 and 2014 was 74.7 years, and there are only two EU countries with lower life expectancy than Bulgaria - Latvia and Lithuania, with 74.3 years and 74.1 years respectively. Spain and Italy lead the European ranking with 83.2 years and 82.9 years. Endit