Oliver the Hero-

Healthy standard issue school lunches you say!? “Hooray!” “It’s about time!” Well, don’t celebrate quite yet the push has gotten a major sponsor, the British chef Jamie Oliver. Who has made a name for himself in the U.S. while taking on the established cheap, easy to heat school lunch programs at your little one’s place of education. The staggering statistics underscore the merits of his “Food Revolution.” For instance, did you know that “the US has the highest rate of obesity in the world (1)?” And that “nearly one in three (32%, 23 million) American children are obese of overweight (2)?” Yet, our public school system doesn’t regularly offer healthy, nutritious, whole foods. Rather, they opt for cheap, low quality, high fat processed foods which have a myriad of effects on our children and nation’s future. The immediate effect is inadequate nutrition. Over time, the risks for weight gain, high cholesterol and diabetes are very high. And these are children we are talking about. Active, generally healthy children that ought be guided in the healthful direction with nutrition education and exposure to ‘real’ foods like apples and pasta. Not derivates of products, which are often sliced and diced to form a kid friendly finger food. Sorry chicken nugget, but your days might be numbered.

If you haven’t seen Oliver’s program on television yet, tune in, you may just find yourself signing his petition for a healthier America. Whether or not you find Oliver “annoying” as the critics call him, one thing we can agree on - his mission is just. As a celebrated celebrity chef personality, the last thing he needs to be doing is service for America’s youth/future. But he is and with an inordinate amount of passion.

Watch Oliver win the coveted TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design non-profit) prize in which he is now an alum with the likes of Bono and Bill Clinton

To learn more about the good-doers prompting the “Food Revolution,” look no further: http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/home

Comments

[k barrios]

I to am a true believer of this problem. Its an interesting fact that the government is trying continuously to push a health reform bill but ignores the fact that the food that is able for consumption is a stronger killer than anything in the U.S. If those lobyists are not persuaded by the money that created by these obesity problem then we would not have such products on the market. If lobyisits really cared about this countries debt they would stop this terrible way of eating. THis would lower our health care substantially. As Americans we need to address this problem. Its something that we need to do for our countries future sake. We need to be strong mentally and physically to aquire this. The whole calorie on every menu is dramatically causing an awarness. This is a very touching post for me and this is problem is that I want to help adress and fix. If i create a product this will be my legacy. I want to help create this renaissance.