Jillian Michaels to speak at UC Riverside about food and fitness

Celebrity fitness guru Jillian Michaels will speak from 12 to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at UC Riverside’s Student Recreation Center at an event open to UC Riverside students, staff and faculty. It is sponsored by the UC Global Food Initiative.

Michaels rose to fame as part of the team of coaches for the NBC reality TV show “The Biggest Loser,” which is now in its 15th season. Her books and DVDs are bestsellers. Previous books include “Master Your Metabolism” and “Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life.” Her most recent book is “Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss.”

“I’m excited to bring her to campus and grateful to partners at the Student Recreation Center who quickly found a room that seats 500 people,” said Cheryl Garner, executive director of UC Riverside’s Dining Services. “I think she will be a big draw for our campus. She will be signing books and offering samples of “Slim Soul,” a new line of healthy foods.” Garner said many of UC Riverside’s wellness resources will be on display at the event.

The event will fit in with the “Be Well” campaign for Student Affairs, said Assistant Vice Chancellor Susan Allen Ortega. The campaign is focused on raising awareness and facilitating action in developing lifelong health and wellness practices by UC Riverside students.

Julie Chobdee, who is the wellness program coordinator for UC Riverside faculty and staff, said this will be an effective way to reach out to the entire campus community. “This event aligns nicely with our UCR Healthy Campus Initiative and supports our collaborative efforts to provide the education, tools, and environment so that our students, faculty, and staff have access to and choose healthier foods,” she said.

“Changing old habits doesn’t have to be hard,” she said. “It’s all about making your health and well-being a priority. I’m hoping the audience will see how easy it is to be healthy – no matter how busy they are with school, work, and personal life.”

Chobdee says no reservations are required. Admission is free, and the room holds 500 people, with standing room for more. She recommends arriving early.

The event is part of the UC Global Food Initiative. The overarching question of that initiative, which started in 2014, is how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a world population expected to reach eight billion by 2025.

UC President Janet Napolitano and all of the system’s chancellors agreed to take on the challenge of leveraging the UC’s substantial resources in agriculture make sure research is translated into public policy. The initiative also asks each campus to leverage its own buying power to create new and healthy food options for all of those who eat on campus.