Experts, Celebs Set for Festival of Health
From tips on how to talk to your doctor or choose an HMO to discussions on how to survive pregnancy or evaluate the latest alternative medical treatments, more than 100 health experts will share their insights at the first Los Angeles Times Festival of Health to be held Oct. 16 and 17.
The weekend event will also feature keynote speakers such as Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund; Earvin “Magic” Johnson, former Los Angeles Lakers star and entrepreneur; and Edward James Olmos, actor, producer and community activist.
The event, which is free to the public, will be held at USC’s main campus in Los Angeles from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 16, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 17.
Other keynote speakers are Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, author of the bestselling book “Live Now, Age Later”; author and breast cancer expert Dr. Susan Love; and Barry Sears, author of the popular “The Zone” diet books.
The festival will feature 45 expert panels on such topics as fitness, diet and nutrition, aging and other consumer health care issues.
Among them is a bilingual discussion of preventive health led by Dr. Aliza A. Lifshitz, Cedars-Sinai pediatrician and author of “Mama Sana, Bebe Sano--Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby.”
Children who may or may not be game for free immunizations are also invited to watch a GT Bike Air Show with stunt riders and hula demonstrations, or take a closer look at state-of-the-art equipment used by the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles emergency transport crew.
Los Angeles Times Health section writers and columnists will participate in various panels, including Bob Rosenblatt, who writes the “Health Dollars & Sense” column; and People’s Pharmacy columnists Joe and Teresa Graedon, who will lead a session on herbal medicine and home remedies. Vicki Iovine, author of the “Girlfriends’ Guide to Family” column, which runs in Southern California Living, will discuss negotiating the tough balance between work and parenting.
Other highlights:
* Dogs that help people heal in a pet-therapy program.
* Cooking demonstrations that feature healing herbs in Asian cooking and vegetarian cuisine.
* The role of music in stress reduction and healing.
Musical entertainment will range from blues and swing to alternative, Latin funk and salsa.
For more information and a list of panels and speakers, see the Festival of Health Web site at https://www.latimes.com/FOH, or phone (800) 350-3211. If you are interested in volunteering, call (213) 237-6503.