Background
Jenny Craig born Genevieve Guidroz in 1932 is best described as an American weight loss Guru. She founded Jenny Craig, Inc along with her late husband Sid Craig. She was born in New Orleans and in 1979 married Sidney Harvey Craig. In 1983 she and her husband formulated a fitness, weight loss and nutritional program in Australia. This eventually lead to the founding of the company Jenny Craig which was then brought over to the United States in 1985. It later became a part of Nestle Nutrition in 2006.
The Weight Loss Program
The widely popular program implements nutrition and physical activity with counselling to help the users of this program modify their lifestyle and eating habits. The overall goal of the program is to have clients no longer reliant on the pre-packaged foods and specially designed menus, overtime clients should learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle on their own.
The program has had many famous actresses as spokespersons including Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli, Phylicia Rashad, Queen Latifah and Monica Lewinsky.
Some reviewers of the diet say that it works marvellously however it relies on self discipline and the ability to stick to the guidelines of the diet. The pre-packaged foods though convenient cannot be combined with other foods or the diet will not work. The ultimate goal of the plan is to eventually have clients become independent of the program by cultivating certain proper eating habits on their own. Many people have sworn that the program has done wonders however some detractors have been cautious especially since the well publicized failure of former spokesperson Kirstie Alley.
Philantropy
Jenny Craig is affiliated with many charities and other philanthropic activities. These include some of the following: the San Diego Hospice, Easter Seals, United Way/CHAD, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Peace At Home’s domestic violence prevention program, and many others. She and her husband have made a sizeable contribution to the Fresno State University for its School of Business and Administrative Services in the amount of 10 million dollars. The department was later renamed the Sid Craig School of Business. The couple donated another 10 million dollars to the University of San Diego of which 7 million was used to build the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Other Activities
Craig along with her husband invested in a thoroughbred horse ranch and breeding operation in Rancho Sante Fe, California. The ranch was once owned by former sportsman Gene Klein. The couple have been involved in racing for many years and have also produced many winning horses. One of their colts Dr Devious came 7th in the 1992 Kentucky Derby and won the 1992 Epsom Derby. In that very year their soon to be National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame filly Paseana won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Gulfstream Park. By 2003 they had produced a thoroughbred Candy Ride which won six consecutive races one of which was the Grade I Pacific Classic Stakes where he set a new record of one and a quarter miles.