Every generation or so, a British invasion hits our shores and shakes things up a bit. This latest assault won’t “Twist and Shout” its way to Billboard’s Top 10, but it is a message worth tuning in.
Jamie Oliver, British-born chef cum reality television star, has taken to main street USA to tell Americans they are too fat, which is somewhat ironic, given the UK is one of the few countries that can match our collective girth thigh for thigh. He’s set his sights on Huntington, West Virginia, the least healthy community in the union, and his message is simple: we are feeding our kids to death. And it’s hard to argue his point, when he shows us young kids suffering with “adult” diseases like heart disease and diabetes or reviews the weekly diet of an obese mom and her three obese kids.
The sad (or frustrating or maddening) thing is his message isn’t new or something we all don’t know on some level. We have spent the last 30 years literally eating ourselves to death and in doing so, created the first generation of kids whose life expectancy is shorter than their parents.
Oliver’s putting his cooking skill where his mouth is, working with the local schools to improve lunch menus, building basic nutrition into school curriculums and spreading the gospel throughout the community…all under the spotlight of a reality television series. While cynics may question his motivation, there’s no denying the problem is real and the need is great. So what if it takes a cockney voice alert us to our problem? I say jolly good show, old chap! With any luck, Oliver’s efforts will give this generation new reasons to appreciate “When I’m 64”.
Click here for more in formation on Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.
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