Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver Is Urging Americans To Take A Stand Against Childhood Obesity
What is the Food Revolution?
It’s a global movement to get people to choose real food and cook it from scratch. It’s about food education and cooking skills. Until everyone has knowledge about food, and how to cook it, they won’t know how to make better food choices for themselves and their families.
Why does America need a Food Revolution?
It’s not just America, but the world. The processed food we are eating and feeding our children will kill them. Because of the food we eat, today’s children will be the first generation to have a shorter life span than their parents. To me, as a chef, and a father, that is just not acceptable. The statistics are very clear. The top three causes of death in the United States—heart disease, cancer and stroke—are all diet- related diseases. And diabetes, which is also diet-related, is sixth on the list. Change the diet and our children will enjoy healthier, longer lives.
What’s causing this epidemic of obesity?
During the last 30 years, locally grown, fresh food has been largely replaced by fast food and processed food loaded with additives. In the home, cooking skills that had been passed down to each generation for centuries have now been lost. As a result, families don’t know how to buy, prepare and cook healthy, nutritious food. And the schools and government are not helping. Instead of teaching kids how to cook and care for themselves properly, they are offering them processed food and flavored milk, every single day. Even a wholesome food like milk is under attack. Yes. Milk just isn’t good enough any more. Schools now serve chocolate milk, even though 1/2 pint has 170 calories and more sugar than a pack of M&Ms. And the last thing kids need today is more sugar.
So how else do we solve the problem of obesity in America?
It can start in the classroom. After all, what is the purpose of school? It’s to equip children with the skills they need to succeed in life. And yet, we don’t educate children about the most life-sustaining subject there is—food! Kids today can’t name basic fruits and vegetables. They think eggplant is a pear, or cauliflower is broccoli. How do we expect them to eat healthy food if they don’t even know what it is? Let’s start with educating children about food and nutrition and feeding them healthier meals at school. Let’s make sure students leave school knowing how to cook 10 healthy meals. Let’s encourage the food industry to let us know what’s in our food by properly labeling it.
Any final thoughts?
Everyone can participate in the Food Revolution. It starts with choices. Choose fresh food, not processed. Learn to cook a few things—the more you cook, the more you’ll enjoy it. Sit down and eat asa family—and get your kids involved in the cooking and washing up. You can also grow something. A pot of tomatoes on a windowsill. A few fresh herb plants. All you need is a little water and sunlight, and then you have some great fresh food. I have never seen a kid refuse food that he or she has grown for himself. And most of all, enjoy your food. Fruits and vegetables are fun. Lovely salads, a little grilled meat, maybe a yogurt sauce? Lovely. I’ll stop now; I could talk about food forever.