JARED FOGLE

Living Well — Tips to Leading a Healthy Life

April 9 at 7:30pm · Learning Center Auditorium at Health Sciences Center

Indiana University graduate Jared Fogle lost 245 pounds using what he calls “The Subway Diet.” At the age of 22, Fogle weighed 425 pounds and was not happy with the way he looked. His father, a physician, worried about the effects his son's weight had on his health, and Fogle always felt he was a disappointment to his father and family.

After unsuccessfully attempting numerous diets, Fogle decided to take an unusual approach to lose weight. After looking at a nutritional brochure at his local Subway, he started a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet by eating two subs a day. For lunch, he would have a six-inch turkey sub and for dinner he would eat a foot-long veggie sub. He had a bag of baked potato chips with each meal and drank all the diet soda he wanted. He lived on this diet for a whole year without anything else to eat. He always made his sandwiches with no mayonnaise, cheese or oils which put him down to 10 grams of fat. Fogle also walked eight blocks to and from Subway each day, which he counted as exercise. He eventually returned to a regular diet including breakfast and fruits in balanced proportions.

Since his diet, Fogle has appeared in numerous commercials for Subway restaurants and has traveled throughout the world talking about the importance of proper dieting and exercise. Earlier this year, Fogle embarked on the “Jared & Friends School Tour,” program designed to teach children the benefits of healthy living. Since it started, Fogle has spoken to more than 31,000 students about the importance of a balanced lifestyle. Fogle was featured in The Washington Post, has appeared on Oprah, Larry King Live, and as the subject of a story on the CBS news program 48 Hours. He has spoken to many organizations across the country, corporations, and health care organizations relaying his inspirational story of hope, willpower, and dedication to a healthier life.

Fogle has also 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. “I am starting The Jared Foundation to help kids who are in the same situation I was in growing up,” said Fogle. “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.”