Subway’s Jared became an icon

As you decide what to have for lunch today, think about this: Who in the U.S. is the most recognized spokesman for a product or service? It’s Jared Fogle, who has become an American icon for his story of losing 245 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches for a year. Fogle grew up in Indiana, and his weight-loss story is known by millions of people worldwide who enjoy Subway food and his entertaining TV commercials. He is busy traveling the world visiting many of Subway’s 30,000 locations, as well as working with his foundation. For more information: www.subway.com and www.jaredfoundation.org.

How did you gain all the weight initially, and when did you have that moment in time when you realized you had to lose it?

“I began gaining weight when I was around 8 years old. I had a very sedentary lifestyle, and my world revolved around playing video games and eating. I began needing more and more food to fill me up, and I’d think about eating all day long. My dad is a family physician, but I didn’t listen to him or other doctors. At age 20, I hit 400 pounds and wore a 60-inch-waist pair of pants. It was time to do something.”

How did you get started with your Subway diet? Was it something you just came up with?

“I tried every way imaginable to lose weight. Nothing worked. In my junior year of college I moved out of the dorm into an apartment right next to a Subway location. I always liked their food. I had this crazy idea of eating only two Subway sandwiches a day. A turkey sub for lunch and a veggie sub for dinner. No mayo, no greasy chips … making the meals as ‘low fat’ as possible. I knew what I was going to eat every day. I lost almost a hundred pounds in three months! I began to exercise, starting with light walking. It took me only a year to lose close to 250 pounds. My life was changed forever.”

How can people help your foundation?

“I established my foundation to work on permanent solutions to the growing problem of childhood obesity. I want to help families find the information and tools they need to make healthy choices for their children. People can go to www.jaredfoundation.org.”

Jared’s Fave Subway Meal

$5 Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki

Wheat bread

No cheese

No mayonnaise

Lettuce and tomato only

One bag of Baked chips

Medium diet cola

NOTE: Healthy alternative side-items include raisins, yogurt or apple slices.