Cheryl Forberg left the land of hockey pucks to become a chef for Wolfgang Puck. Now Forberg -- who grew up by the State Fairgrounds, where deep-fried curiosities on a stick are considered delicacies -- is the consulting dietitian for NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

"I definitely did go to the State Fair," said Forberg, whose specialties are far cries from the cheese curds or lefse she became acquainted with in St. Paul. "I developed a cherry chili. I guess that's a little out of the ordinary."

Forberg, now a California-based anti-aging nutrition expert who lectures and gives cooking demonstrations across the country, has had a career that's been anything but ordinary. A presence on the set of the most popular weight-loss show on TV, Forberg returns to Minnesota on Jan. 9 to talk about her latest book, "Positively Ageless," at a dinner at the Edinburgh USA Golf Course in Brooklyn Park.

From grade school near Como Park to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Forberg says she's always been interested in food. Her dad baked bread on weekends and her mom was a great cook, but Forberg never intended to make a career of it.

Before culinary school, she was an international flight attendant.

"I was from Minnesota and I'd never been anywhere," she said. "I enjoyed the travel, but I got tired of saying, 'Chicken or beef?'"

But after culinary school, she didn't want to just prepare meals -- which she did for restaurants, private clients and for Puck.

"There weren't a lot of chefs who knew about nutrition," said Forberg.

She earned a nutritional degree at the University of California, Berkeley, then got a real education working with menopausal women who had breast cancer.

Forberg learned about the aging process, was introduced to "The Biggest Loser" and co-wrote the eating plan for the show.

"Two seasons ago, 225,000 people auditioned for the show," Forberg said. "I don't know if they were all morbidly obese. That's the state of affairs today, which is sorry. But it was nice to know that so many people wanted to get their lives on track."

After a final cut, the winners who hope to be Biggest Losers are flown to Los Angeles for a "very comprehensive" physical, Forberg said. When tests are completed, a "cast" is selected.

From there, what you see on TV is hardly the whole picture. Off camera, there are medics on the set, monitoring contestants who go through a rigorous exercise program. And there is Forberg, the hidden cast member who became so popular that she started a "Biggest Loser"-related blog -- at www.cherylforberg.com/blog -- to share information with viewers.

"People are inspired by the show," she said, "but they don't know where to begin."

Those with extreme weight issues must address their psychological relationship with food, she said. "When you gain 100 pounds, there's something else going on," she said. "That relationship with food has to be addressed."

Many of the morsels of wisdom Forberg offers TV contestants can be found in "Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You" (Rodale books). Included are shopping lists, recipes and exercise plans.

"There are common denominators with people with weight problems," she said. "Most eat very few fruits or vegetables. They don't drink much water. Little or no exercise. They eat very few whole grains; instead they eat lots of processed carbohydrates.

"They eat lots of fast foods, skip meals and have no idea how many calories their body needs. They eat in the car. Or standing up. They get enough calories for an entire day from their beverages alone.

"And some of them know that their days are numbered if they continue what they're doing."

Paul Levy • 612-673-4419

CHERYL FORBERG

What: The nutritionist for NBC's "The Biggest Loser" will to talk about her book, "Positively Ageless," in a visit sponsored by Anoka-Hennepin Education.

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 9

Where: Edinburgh Golf Course, 8700 Edinbrook Crossing, Brooklyn Park.

Tickets: $55 (includes dinner). 763-506-5766 or www.discovercommunityed.com.

CHERYL FORBERG What: The nutritionist for NBC's "The Biggest Loser" will talk about her book, "Positively Ageless," in a visit sponsored by Anoka-Hennepin Education. When: 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Jan. 9 Where: Edinburgh Golf Course, 8700 Edinbrook Crossing, Brooklyn Park. How to go: Tickets, at $55 (includes dinner), can be reserved by calling 763-506-5766, or go to www.discovercommunityed.com.