Those of you who have been following my blog know all too well the wild weather we dodged last year during our Double X journey from our rocky sail across the Pacific Ocean to navigating the often turbulent waters around the South Pacific islands. It was clear to see that environmental changes – rising ocean temperatures, declining fish populations, coral bleaching – had created a new normal for the islanders. It was also clear that embracing a sustainable, healthy lifestyle was more important than ever, not only for the islanders, but for people all around the world. As Francesca and I headed back home, we started to formulate a plan to help.

Honoring a legend in disease prevention

We thought long and hard about how best to contribute. We had previously endowed the C.F. Rehnborg Professorship at Stanford University – the first professorship in disease prevention in the School of Medicine. Based on the success of this chair, its role in the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the success of the Nutrilite™ brand, Francesca and I thought what better way to make even more of an impact than with a second chair in the School of Medicine. The chair is called the Rehnborg Farquhar Professorship of Medicine in honor of my friend and Stanford professor emeritus John Farquhar, M.D., and his pioneering work in disease prevention. (John and I actually go way back to the 1960s when we were both working on the structure and function of lipoproteins.)

Supporting the next generation of innovative research

Earlier this month, Francesca and I joined family, friends and colleagues to attend a special ceremony presented by Stanford Medicine to celebrate the appointment of the inaugural holder of the Rehnborg Farquhar Professorship, Christopher Gardner, Ph.D.

Christopher was a natural pick for this endowment. For decades, he has been passionate about finding out what foods promote optimal health. More recently, he has shifted his energies to an even more challenging area of endeavor: uncovering what really motivates people to improve their food intake. This is a much-needed area of research, and I’m certainly thankful to have a scientist like Christopher at the helm.

I hope you’ll join me in following Christopher and his team as they work to uncover the mysteries of how and what we choose to eat and its impact on human health and the health of the planet.

In the meantime, wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season.

Cheers!

P.S. To get a flavor of this special evening, check out Photo Album 5: Rehnborg Farquhar Professorship. Hope you enjoy!

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