Monday, April 12, 2010

Food Revolution: ABC's Great New Motivator

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  I've had a number of people ask me what I thought about ABC's newer Friday night show, so I caught up with all 4 episodes last Friday. (Back episodes are online  http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution.)


Oliver is a zesty British chef who has caught the "Get America Healthier" bug.  He planted himself in Huntington, West Virginia, hoping to make some changes in the way the unhealthiest town in America eats. His first attempt at change was in an elementary school where he was amazed to see what kids were actually eating for school breakfast and lunches. Viewers see an abundance of oversized kids eating pizza, chicken nuggets, fries, and strawberry and chocolate milk, with few things that we would recognize as a fruit or vegetable. 


The solid points I've gotten from the show so far:
  • People must be aware that there is a problem with the way they are doing things: "eating this way is killing you,"  and given a strong reason to change, before they will attempt to change.
  • People are incredibly resistant to change.
  • Some (many?) food offerings in school are of questionable nutritional value. Most kids choose chocolate or strawberry milk over plain, white low-fat milk. Are you surprised?
  • Lack of education: Not one kid in an entire class could identify even one vegetable. They didn't even know the fries they ate came from potatoes. 
  • Not much cooking at home is happening if you don't count heating up nuggets and fries. 
  • We ALL have to work together to help make healthier choices in what we eat, including parents, schools, and youth group leaders of all types.
  • Lead by example:  we must all pursue a healthier life along with the kids!
  • Government guidelines for schools count fries as a vegetable.  OUCH!! Time for some tweaking of some guidelines perhaps?
  • Use your own special talents to make a difference.  Jamie Oliver does this with this entire program and specifically in the challenge to teach 1000 people in the city to cook a meal with fresh foods.  He makes it a challenge, it's fun and really creates a successful project with his talents as chef.
  • Everyone needs to get involved to improve the health of our country.
The show is absolutely spot on. It provides an eye opening look into what many families today are eating, and presents quite clearly what will happen if this continues to be the case, including last week's look at a double wide casket that needed a truck to be transported.  Yes, it's TV, and yes, some of it is sensationalized to improve it's viewing quality.  But, it does the trick.  Hopefully, the message will be getting out and it will zip some impetus for changing the way you, as one small piece of America, eat.  Click on the show, get motivated with Jamie and learn to cook healthy, nutritious foods for you and your family.  If the show can get even one family to eat healthier, great job!


I'll keep blogging, writing, and motivating people in groups in their quest for good health and nutrition.  Give Jamie Oliver the 9 p.m. time slot on Friday nights on ABC to fire up some more Americans to make a change and start eating healthier!


Fire up!  We can do this!!

2 comments:

  1. I watched one of these--well, part of it. I just couldn't believe the approach to feeding a family and nutrition. One mother who was spotlighted described the shame she felt when the doctor told her that her 318 lb, 12 year old son was obese! She claims "like every other American family, we eat fast food a few times a week."

    Really--that's the norm? Incredible. I do think he's doing a good job but I have to admit the lack of general knowledge about basic nutrition made me so mad I couldn't finish watching.

    Don't we all learn what a carrot looks like in kindergarten?

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  2. Good points! I am fearful that some of these kids have forgotten what veggies actually do look like. So sad, so scary.

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