Food Revolution

This new show premiered on Friday called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Here's an uber brief synopsis. Jamie Oliver, acclaimed British chef, moves to Huntington, West Virginia to change the locals' diets. Apparently, Huntington is, statistically, the unhealthiest city in the United States. Jamie's goal is to educate the people and save lives.

I'll admit that I loved it! But there were a few parts that made me mad. The locals complained that they were being portrayed negatively in the newspapers. Well, when you are the unhealthiest city in the country, it's pretty clear that you are ignorant. That's not a cheap shot at country people, it's a fact. These people are ignorant to basic nutrition. The children in the schools couldn't identify even the most recognizable vegetables. They thought tomatoes were potatoes. They didn't know that ketchup comes from tomatoes or that French fries from potatoes.

It's slightly more acceptable for children to be unaware of this basic information, but it's completely unacceptable for adults to be as clueless. The lunch ladies didn't see a problem with serving flavored milk and pizza for breakfast. They didn't have an issue with everything being served in their cafeteria being pre-packed and simply reheated.

The most enraging part of the show was when Jamie tried to help one family. He went into the fridge and saw nothing but frozen pizza, chicken nuggets and soda. Everyone in the family was morbidly obese and it was clear why. Jamie explained to the mother that she was basically killing her children with the she fed them. She cried and vowed to change...and of course she didn't. It wasn't until a doctor told her that her 13-year-old son was on his way to developing diabetes that she decided to make some serious changes.

I was trying to figure out how this happens. I thought that maybe some of it was done for the drama of filming a television. Surely, that is part of it. But the government statistics don't lie. People know that fruits and vegetables are good and pizza, burgers, and anything that comes out of a deep fryer are bad. Exercise is important to live a healthy life, not simply for people who want to have attractive bodies. These are universal truths. Are they really just stupid? Are they lazy? Is either of these two possibilities justifiable?