Food+Revolution

America is the most obese country in the world. It is not just the adults that are overweight; it is their children as well. This is because schools can’t afford nutritious food, so they go the lazy route getting cheap quick processed food, which is extremely unhealthy. Activists such as British chef Jamie Oliver are trying to help America by making cheap but healthy food which anyone can afford.

So why is Jamie here? Well, he is here because Huntington, West Virginia is the fattest city in the world. Jamie says “In one of the communities I worked in, there was an 80% childhood obesity rate”. What this means is that not only is the adult population fat, but the childhood population is fat as well. This is a problem because when they grow up to be fat and have no knowledge of healthy eating habits. Jamie says “They are likely to live shorter lives than their parents and die from obesity-related diseases”. So the next generation will have the same problems as the last, and everyone will be fat and more prone to diseases and death.

What is the cause of this growing problem? Schools give out cheap, unhealthy food, which poisons the kids. But Jamie Oliver thinks he has the cure to this problem with cheap and healthy recipes. Jamie is opening a local kitchen where he will teach youths the importance of nutrition and eating healthy foods. Also in this facility, he will be giving classes to adults on how to cook cheap yet healthy recipes for their families.

Jamie Oliver has implemented his healthy food plan into many schools across America. However, there is a problem. For some reason, the kids do not like the taste of the new healthy food, therefore making the schools switch back to unhealthy food choices. But it is not that the food tastes bad; it is the way the food is cooked. A student from one of these schools says “The food was super good at the summer tasting in LA, but on campus the chicken pozole was watery, the vegetable tamales were burned, and the noodles were soggy”. There is a simple solution so kids will actually eat the healthy food choices. All they need to do is train the lunch staff or hire new cooks with more experience

I believe what Jamie Oliver is trying to do is a good idea. But instead of making healthy food and forcing the students to eat it when they really do not want to, I think he should fix the problem at the source. Schools should have classes in which the teachers educate the students on healthier eating habits. With this nutritional education, the students can make healthier choices in what they consume.

As you can see, obesity is a major problem throughout the world, but mainly in America. This is due to the access to much fatty and non-nutritious food. But not all the blame can go to the fast-food industry; it’s not their entire fault that our children are fat, for the children have the choice whether to eat healthy or not. It is also partly the school’s fault for not having enough money to fund a nutrition program teaching students how to eat right. But I believe that with a little effort and education, we can fix this obesity crisis in America.