After being overweight for most of adolescence and young adulthood, a burst appendix and his father’s diagnosis with prostate cancer led Cruise to focus on his own health. He consequently lost over 40 pounds and is now the author of five series addressing weight loss .

Cruise graduated with his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 1994 and studied at Dartmouth College from 1993 to 1994 . He received his fitness credentials from the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the American Council on Exercise .

He currently lives in San Diego with his two sons .

Cruise has marketed a number of different diet plans over the last decade, his philosophy evolving over the years from heavy emphasis on increasing metabolism through building lean muscle (8 Minutes in the Morning , The 12-Second Sequence ) to advocating smaller-yet-more-frequent meals (The 3-Hour Diet , Body at Home ) to recommending low-carb/low-sugar meal plans (The Belly Fat Cure ). While specifics have changed over the years, Cruise’s philosophy has always maintained an emphasis on keeping metabolism high (generally through emphasizing strength training over aerobic exercise) and controlling blood sugar levels (generally keeping them stable through fewer and more frequent meals and keeping them low by avoiding simple carbohydrates and “hidden sugars” ).

Cruise’s most recent work advocates focusing on sugar instead of calories in the belief that insulin (the levels of which rise following consumption of sugar and other carbohydrates) increases belly fat . Cruise therefore stresses the importance of reading labels for these “hidden sugars,” which he alleges also contribute to heart disease, cancer, and type II diabetes .

Cruise’s books have sold more than 6 million copies in over 15 languages . Books from each of his five series (8 Minutes in the Morning, The 3-Hour Diet, The 12-Second Sequence, Body at Home, and The Belly Fat Cure) have become New York Times bestsellers .

In addition to his books, he is a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine , the Costco Connection Magazine , and Extra TV .

He has also appeared on a number of television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show , CNN , Good Morning America , The Today Show , Dateline NBC , The View , The Tyra Banks Show , and VH1 , among others .

Cruise, Jorge. The Belly Fat Cure. Carlsbad: Hay House, 2009. ISBN 978-1401927189Cruise, Jorge. The Belly Fat Cure: Sugar & Carb Counter. Carlsbad: Hay House, 2010. ISBN 978-1401929121Cruise, Jorge. Body at Home. New York: Crown Archetype, 2009. ISBN 978-0307383334Cruise, Jorge. 8 Minutes in the Morning. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 2002. ISBN 978-0060505387Cruise, Jorge. 8 Minutes in the Morning for Extra-Easy Weight Loss. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 2004. ISBN 978-0060580858Cruise, Jorge. 8 Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes. New York: Rodale Books, 2003. ISBN 978-1579547141Cruise, Jorge. 8 Minutes in the Morning Kit. Carlsbad: Hay House, 2003. ISBN 978-1401902797Cruise, Jorge. 8 Minutes in the Morning to a Flat Belly. New York: Rodale Books, 2004. ISBN 978-1579547158Cruise, Jorge. 8 Minutes in the Morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs. New York: Rodale Books, 2004. ISBN 1579547168 | New York: Rodale International Ltd, 2005. ISBN 978-1405077385Cruise, Jorge. Fast Track to the Belly Fat Cure. Carlsbad: Hay House, 2010. ISBN 978-1401929145Cruise, Jorge. The 3-Hour Diet. New York: Collins, 2006. ISBN 0061237191Cruise, Jorge. The 3-Hour Diet Cookbook. New York: Collins, 2007. ISBN 006079318XCruise, Jorge. The 3-Hour Diet for Teens. New York: HarperTeen, 2007. ISBN 0061171433Cruise, Jorge. The 3-Hour Diet on the Go. New York: Harper Paperbacks 2005. ISBN 978-0060793197Cruise, Jorge. The 12-Second Sequence. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0307383327