If he seems like just a regular guy, he is.
Jared Fogle of Subway sandwich fame was a 425-pound college student who had tried diets and countless weight-loss gimmicks for years with no luck. But 10 years ago, he noticed a sign at the Subway near his apartment promoting the chains sandwiches with six grams of fat or less.
A steady diet of the low-calorie, low-fat sandwiches, combined with exercise, was just the ticket he needed to lose some 245 poundsand to keep it off 10 years later.
Fogle will be on the West Virginia University campus to tell his story of determination and success at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in the Health Sciences Center Learning Center Auditorium as part of the Festival of Ideas lecture series.
The presentation,Living Well: Tips to Leading a Healthy Life,is co-sponsored by the Division of Human Resources Employee Wellness Program and Arts&Entertainment. Admission is free to the public; seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
From what I understand, Jared is able to maintain his weight around 190 pounds,said Kimberly Zaph, WVU s wellness program manager.While he still eats at Subway, he also eats other healthy foods and walks whenever he can.
I look forward to hearing Jareds powerful message, especially his experiences as an obese child,she added.In the midst of all the unhealthy weight-loss options, its refreshing to see him promote proper nutrition and exercise as the recipe for creating a healthy body composition. Obesity can be devastating to physical and emotional health, so we need positive role models like Jared to inspire people of all ages who struggle with weight management.
Toni Christian, director of Benefits Administration, which oversees the Employee Wellness Program, said,We are so pleased to be involved in bringing Jared to campus. His story resonates with the public because most see him as a regular guyjust struggling like many people do with weight and health issues.
Fogles story has been told in national newspaper and magazine articles and on radio and television programs such asOprahandLarry King Live.He has taken part in a number of health conferences, including Harvard Universitys Obesity Health Forum.
He participates in the American Heart Associations Heart Walk and visits public schools and colleges. He still appears in Subway commercials and promotions, including a current campaign to retire his famousfat pants.
Fogle started a foundation in hopes of preventing childhood obesity. The Jared Foundation will provide grants for educational programs targeting children who face obesity-related issues. He will travel the country raising money to fund grassroots programs and organizations that share his mission.
New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and other celebrities recently signed on to help raise awareness and funds for the foundations efforts.
I am starting The Jared Foundation to help kids who are in the same situation I was in growing up,Fogle said.I was an overweight kid who turned into an even heavier teenager, who turned into an obese young adult, and this negatively affected every aspect of my life. Now I am in a position where I can have some influence with kids and hopefully can help them learn to make better choices.
The Festival of Ideas series is produced by Arts&Entertainment and is in its 13th year. Since its beginning, the series has featured historians, scholars, politicians, journalists and entertainers, including poet Maya Angelou, author Gore Vidal, filmmaker Spike Lee, journalist Judith Miller, former South African President F.W. de Klerk and cast members from MTV sThe Real World.
The Festival of Ideas is supported in part by the David C. Hardesty Jr. Festival of Ideas Endowment, which brings preeminent thinkers and scholars to campus. For other festival speakers, go tohttp://www.events.wvu.edu/foi/.