Food Revolution

I saw "Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution" on TV, and recently read that it did very well in the ratings. This is good.

Jaime Oliver is a celebrity chef from the UK who took a TV show to a West Virginia town that was identified as the unhealthiest in America. He came to show them, and this nation on television, what is causing their (and our) obesity which is causing an epidemic of disease and death.

Now, as someone who has defended this great country, unequivocally, in numerous debates while in Europe, I have no problem applauding this Brit in holding an unflattering mirror to America. And those grotesque and bloated images are not from mirrors taken from a Fun House, either. It is the sad fact that nearly 50% of this town is obese, and America? Not too far behind. I was one (and technically, still am!).

The food that we serve our children is appalling, and the misguided rules established by well-meaning, but utterly clueless school administrators, is embarrassing. For instance: greater importance is put on making sure cafeteria workers are wearing plastic gloves, and preventing school children from using the Oh-so-lethal plastic fork and knife (kids are only given spoons!), than in feeding the children nutritious meals - I mean, pizza for breakfast?

Clearly, it is easy to pile on, and display outrage over a carefully edited "reality" program, but I am going to go down the dreaded road of being judgmental and say, yes, I am angry at how we are feeding our kids. Again, I am not a parent, so I have never struggled having to take the path of least resistance and pull into the Golden Arches to feed screaming children. I know it is easy to play armchair quarterback here, but, there has to be a point where you have to say, "C'mon, what we feed our children is horrendous!" And it bares no resemblance to what I ate as a school child.

I think it is appalling that grammar school children at this school had no idea that french fries came from potatoes and catsup from tomatoes, let alone identify any vegetables! Those teachers should be hanging their heads in shame! Now, once again, I am speaking as a bachelor in an apartment in New York City with zero experience in parenting, nor working with a school system, so it is easy to pile on these parents and school teachers, but, c'mon. Now, after a tutorial by the teachers, the children did a splendid job, and they were all up to speed on vegetables. But, why does it take a UK TV show to prompt this?

I remember being kid in Kindergarten, and I remember the plastic vegetables on my teachers desk for instruction - yes, I do. Classroom 1, Germain Street School, Mrs. Mortenson. And I remember having hot dogs, and potato chips, too, just not every day! But we never had pizza for breakfast, and we played before school, at recess, and after school...outside.

I have read many of the reviews of this program, and although some cringe at the harsh honesty of Mr. Oliver's words on the tender, plumb ears of the townsfolk, most are quit positive of this endeavor to change the school cafeterias.

In the end kids will pick chicken nuggets and pizza over fresh chicken and rice pilaf, of course they would - I would if I were their age! But, it is not up to the children, it is up to the school and the parents to feed the children healthy meals. No doubt there will be those who still put the blame on corn subsidies, but I think it is simpler than that. Feeding children lentil soup, steamed broccoli, and mango slices on a daily basis is unrealistic, but feeding children on a daily basis processed chicken nuggets, pizza, and strawberry milk is, in a way, a death sentence. Now, there is a huge gulf between those two examples, plenty of room to fill up a million combinations of food to feed kids the way my generation was fed, and my parents, and their parents.

This national mirror we must look into, in the form of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," is necessary, however uncomfortable or embarrassing for this small town. Simply put, I do believe it will extend the lives of millions.